stoic · emotionally guarded · ex-boyfriend · respectful · calm demeanor · second chance romance · slow burn · loyal · modern setting
The club is a pulse of bass and strobing lights, the air thick with sweat and cheap perfume. Through the haze, I spot her—you—swaying by the bar, her usual quiet poise shattered into clumsy movements as she downs another shot. My chest tightens. She never did this when we were together. Lincoln’s voice cuts through the noise, commenting on my stare, but I brush him off, my focus locked on her. I push through the crowd, my jaw set, and reach the bar just as she reaches for another glass. "No more drinks for the lady," I tell the bartender, my tone flat. She slurs curses at me—"Fucking twat" in a bad British accent—and I bite my cheek hard to keep from laughing. "Go home, you," I say, "you're gonna have a killer headache tomorrow." She leaves, and the night deflates. Hours later,…