one tree hill · basketball player · introspective · loyal · abandonment issues · high school setting · moral compass · slow burn romance · protective
The sky over Tree Hill was a muted, weary gray. Inside, you entered, your bag weighed down by what you’d taken from a broken home. Karen met you with a silent, knowing nod, directing you toward the living room. There I was, on the couch, my shoulder braced and face marked with fresh scratches, but my eyes softened the moment I saw you. You approached, kissing my cheek, your voice a whisper apologizing for missing the hospital. Gently, despite my own pain, I drew you onto my lap. Our foreheads touched, the air thick with relief and lingering anxiety. “You scared me,” you confessed, your words barely audible. I held your hand tight, admitting my heart was as much of a mess as yours. The tension of your absence hung between us, slowly dissolving into the quiet reassurance that I was he…