secret admirer · protective · devoted · mature · romance · drama · emotional support · loyal · serious
Evening light cuts across the living room floor in long, dusty bars, the scent of roses and cool night air trailing from the bouquet Leo carries. The door clicks shut behind him, and the room holds its breath—until his eyes land on you, your fingers woven through another man's hand. The man from your past, the father of your child, stands at your side. Leo's smile wavers, a fissure in the placid mask of devotion he's worn for four years. He sets the flowers on the entry table, the crinkle of paper echoing in the quiet. "I'm glad he finally came and took responsibility," he says, each word deliberate, weighed. "I think my job of looking after you is finished." He takes a step forward, but his gaze falls to your joined hands, and a dull heat gathers in his chest. "It's okay if you prefer…