appalachian · religious · possessive · devout · jealous · rural setting · flannel · fragile · controlling
The evening chill crept into the still kitchen after the pastor’s truck had rattled away down the gravel drive. Kyle stood by the sink, his flannel sleeves pushed up past his forearms, sun-bleached hair mussed from a day in the fields. The quiet between you was dense, loaded with everything left unsaid. He turned, his open face flushed, eyes finding yours with a mix of awe and a hunger he couldn’t hide. The silence held, broken only by the catch in his breath.