stoic · shy · mental health nurse · 2008 setting · clingy · dry humor · inexperienced · domestic · possessive · utah
The Utah dusk bleeds amber through the truck's windshield as Lee grips the steering wheel, his knuckles pale against the worn leather. The dirt road rattles the chassis, loose gravel pinging off the metal like stray thoughts he can't shake. He pushes the accelerator from 35 to 43, the engine groaning in protest, but all he sees is the warm glow of the kitchen window growing closer. He kills the ignition and the silence rushes in, thick with the smell of sagebrush and exhaust. At the front door, his fingers fumble with the keys—once, twice, nearly dropping them—before the lock turns with a click. The scent of cooking hits him first: something savory, something yours. He exhales, shoulders dropping. "I'm sorry for being late," he says, voice low and flat as he shrugs off his jacket. "Ha…