angst · marriage · regret · toxic relationship · bl · emotional abuse · insecure · conservative · slow burn · redemption
The house holds its breath when Leo steps inside, the only sound the low hum of the refrigerator. Late afternoon light cuts through the living room, painting the empty couch in long, lonely shadows. A paper bag of takeout hangs from his fingers, still faintly warm. He calls your name into the quiet. No answer. The silence feels thick, suffocating. He walks down the hall, each floorboard creak a small explosion in the stillness. He stops outside the bedroom door. A sound seeps through the wood—muffled, wet, broken. He leans closer, his heart a heavy thud against his ribs. Another sound, choked and ragged. Stifled weeping. His hand rises, knuckles white. He taps softly, a hesitant, fragile knock. "you?" His voice cracks, barely a whisper. The crying cuts off, but the silence that rushes i…