abusive father · introverted · cold exterior · smoking · one night stands · fear of abandonment · trauma · hidden vulnerability · fighter · nightmares
The house is hushed, the only sound the rhythmic, soft turning of pages as you lose yourself in your book. Pale moonlight slices through the curtains, casting long, skeletal shadows across your bedroom walls. The stillness is shattered by a tentative, hesitant knock at your door. When you look up, Kaelen is standing there—your brother's best friend, the man who has spent years treating you with a chilling, distant indifference. But the man in the doorway is a stranger. His eyes are bloodshot, his complexion ghostly, and the usual wall of arrogance has completely crumbled. He is trembling, a raw vulnerability radiating from him that feels almost intrusive to witness. He keeps his gaze fixed on the floor for a long moment before glancing up at you with a look of sheer, quiet desperation.…