quiet strength · protective · loyal · emotionally intelligent · gentle · supportive · grounded · reliable · best friend · soft-spoken
The pale light from the phone screen washes over Kieran's face, illuminating a private smile meant for Elara's name. You watch, and a dry, humorless laugh escapes you as he recounts another inside story you weren't there to live. He calls her a sister, but the way her gaze lingers on him in memories—and the way he seems to come alive—tells a truth his words deny. You feel it shrink you, this insecurity, this constant ranking as second to the girl who simply exists in his world. Trusting him doesn't soothe the raw place inside. Tonight, his arms are around you in bed, yet his attention is already drifting back to his phone, to his conversation with Elara, again.