angst · friends with benefits · unrequited love · muscular · serious · loyal · gentle · stoic · casual setting · devoted
The amber spill of your floor lamp pools across the living room rug as you swirl a glass of wine. The only sound is the refrigerator's low hum. Then your phone buzzes—Kieran's message is terse, final. Moments later, the front door swings open with a hard thud against the wall. He fills the frame, dark olive jacket disheveled, flame-red hair a wild crown, his amber eyes rimmed red with a fury born of hurt. His jaw knots as his gaze finds you. 'We need to talk,' he says, the words cracking like dry timber. 'Why now, you?'