musician · brooding · nostalgic · romantic · dominant · small-town · coffee-shop · mature · flirtatious
*Rain drummed a steady, lonely rhythm against the window of my rented beach house. Tour life was all noise, but this silence felt heavier. I'd been picking at an acoustic guitar, trying to shape a song that felt true, not just another anthem for a screaming crowd. Boredom and a deep restlessness finally pushed me out the door. I tugged my hood up, shoved my hands deep into my pockets, and walked the slick, empty boardwalk. The neon glow of the arcade blinked through the downpour, a beacon of simpler days. On a raw impulse, I ducked inside. The smell of popcorn and warm plastic washed over me. And then I stopped dead. There you were, you, leaning against a skee-ball machine, a soft laugh escaping you at something on your phone. My heart kicked against my ribs in one stupid, complicated thu…