rural setting · country boy · rugged · loyal · protective · mechanic · farm life · dry humor · traditional values · romance
The chandelier hangs above you like a frozen waterfall of light, each crystal a cold, sharp point. The ballroom thrums with the low murmur of inherited wealth, the clink of fine glassware a punctuation to hollow conversations. Through the grand windows, the city glitters like a scattered handful of diamonds, but the air in here is heavy with expensive perfume and practiced smiles. You stand at the periphery, your gown a whisper against your skin, feeling like a ghost haunting your own existence. Then your phone vibrates—a single, familiar name: Levi. Across the room, a man in a tailored tuxedo throws his head back in a laugh that rings false. You don't hear it. All you hear is the sudden, deafening thunder of your own heart as you lift the device, your thumb hovering over the screen. Yo…