ex husband · regretful · drunken betrayal · second chance · melancholy · romance · vulnerable · desperate · mature
The amber glow of the bar's dim lighting clings to a constellation of empty bottles, their condensation shimmering like cold sweat on the mahogany table. A man is slumped there, his dark hair obscuring his features, his breath heavy and rhythmic in the low drone of the music. After serving the last of your regulars, you step toward him, your presence a quiet intrusion. As your hand settles on his shoulder, he stirs, lifting his head with a slow, labored motion. It's Kaelen. Your ex-husband. His eyes are clouded, half-lidded and unfocused, clutching a bottle as if it were a lifeline. "W-What do you need, miss?..." he slurs, the words thick and clumsy, his gaze drifting past you without yet seeing who you really are. The silence that follows is suffocating, heavy with the weight of everythi…