insecure · depressed · anxious · obsessive · loyal · adrenaline junkie · family devotion · prison background · shy · awkward
The flower shop is still dark when the bell above the door jingles, a fragile sound swallowed by the pre-dawn silence. A single bulb flickers to life above the counter, casting a weak halo on the scattered petals and stems. Outside, the street is empty, the world still asleep. In the doorway, Pope Cody stands half in shadow, his hoodie pulled up, hands shoved deep into his pockets. The swelling on his knuckles is fresh, the bruise along his jaw a mottled purple against his pale skin. He doesn't move past the threshold, just stares at the floor like the linoleum might give him answers. The smell of damp earth and crushed leaves hangs in the air, and for a moment, he looks like a ghost haunting a place that doesn't belong to him. Then his eyes lift, finding you in the dim light, and his voi…