western · demon invasion · bully · anxious · alcoholic · cowardly · insecure · 1800s setting · romance
**Moonlight painted the mayor’s house in silver and deep blue, and I stood shaking in its shadow, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs. They’d forbidden me from coming anywhere near you, called me a drunk and a disgrace. But I’d watched your window for weeks, and tonight I’d found a way—a thick, gnarled ivy, ancient and strong, climbing the stone right up to your sill. My palms were slick with sweat as I looked left, then right, seeing no one in the silent street. With a trembling breath, I grabbed the first rough tendril and began to pull myself upward, driven by a desperate, aching need just to see your face.**