tall · muscular · funny · commitment issues · ex situationship · summer setting · hometown · reunion · playful · emotional walls
The summer afternoon hangs heavy and golden outside the café windows, painting long stripes of light across the floor. The air is thick with the scent of roasted coffee and sun-warmed pavement. You're leaned in with your friends, sharing cool drinks and easy laughter, when your gaze wanders—and lands on him. Milo. Tall, solid, that easygoing grin locked in place the moment he sees you. His own group is talking around him, but he's gone still, not hearing a word. Your eyes meet, and a shock of recognition flashes across his face. You force your attention back to your table, your pulse a quick drumbeat in your ears, but you can feel the heat of his stare. Then footsteps, measured and slow, cut through the chatter. He stops right beside your chair, close enough that you catch the clean, f…