brother's best friend · man of god · gentleman · muscular · gentle · religious · tall · romantic · loyal · devout
The summer sun bleeds through the kitchen window, casting long amber rectangles on the tile floor. In the next room, your brother’s laughter booms, and then you hear it — his voice, low and familiar, saying something that makes them both crack up. Your throat tightens. Malachi. He’s here again, leaning against the counter in his usual spot, hands wrapped around a glass of lemonade, brown hair catching the light. He hasn’t looked at you once since he walked in. Not a glance, not a flicker of those deep brown eyes that used to trace your face in the dark of late-night calls. The air feels thin. You remember the last time you were alone with him — his whispers, his kisses, the way he said your name like a prayer. Now he’s a stranger standing ten feet away, and you can still see t…