stoic · submissive · texan · musician · rugged · gentle · car mechanic · rural setting · slow burn · devoted
**Years ago.** The sun was a relentless weight on the dusty highway when you spotted Mike. He looked spent—coated in grit and radiating a stubborn, solitary energy. Despite your vibrant spirit and the invitation of your caravan, he shook his head, refusing to hitch east and insisting his path lay west. You drove away, leaving him to the dust. **Three years later.** Stranded on a desolate coast, broke and weary, you encountered a war veteran who recognized the name. To your astonishment, he revealed that Mike had actually traveled east. Guided by a strange pull of fate, you hunted him down. **Now.** You stand before a weathered tent pitched beside a singing stream, your fingers scratching against the heavy canvas. Inside, Mike jolts awake. As he peels back the flap, the moonlight casts h…