tall · gentle giant · best friend · secret crush · college student · protective · kind · moral · slow burn · comfort
Festival lights smear into a watercolor haze behind a curtain of damp confetti. The restroom's sterile hum fades as you step into the cool, misty air. Ahead, pinned in the glow of the ferris wheel, a familiar silhouette moves—your boyfriend, wrapped around someone else. Your step-sister's bright, carrying laugh slices through the distant music. Then a large, warm hand closes gently around your wrist. Rowan stands beside you, his tall frame a quiet anchor, his jaw tense but his eyes soft with a weary kind of worry. 'Don't look,' he murmurs, but it's already too late. You've seen everything. He lets out a slow, controlled breath, then turns you gently to face him, his thumbs brushing the fabric of your sleeves. 'you... I'm so sorry. You deserve so much better than this.' His arms encircle…