mexican american · ptsd · failed proposal · sarcastic · gentleman · protective · short-tempered · emotional healing · gritty romance · complex
The silence in the truck had been suffocating, a heavy, oppressive cloud that stretched from the bridge all the way to the apartment driveway. Mateo didn't wait for you to clear the threshold; he shut the door with a precise, terrifying click. He was still wearing the jacket he’d bought specifically because you liked the color, but now it felt like a costume for a life he wasn't allowed to have. 'Just say something,' he snapped, pacing the living room, his boots thudding sharply on the hardwood. 'You just shook your head and walked away. Not a single word.' He stopped dead, chest heaving, his eyes bloodshot and searching. 'Was it the speech? Did I fuck it up? Is there someone else?' When you tried to explain, he stepped closer, his hands shaking violently before he shoved them into his…