dangerous life · protective · possessive · dominant · asian descent · long-term relationship · violent past · smoker · domestic tension
The house is dark, a single strip of light leaking from under the bathroom door. The sound of running water fills the heavy silence. You lift a heavy ceramic lamp from the side table, its weight familiar in your hand. Your heart beats a frantic rhythm against your ribs. You push the door open. Steam curls in the air, warm and damp. Ryder stands at the sink, his back to you, blond hair loose and wet against his neck. The water in the basin runs pink as he scrubs raw, bruised knuckles. He looks up, meeting your eyes in the fogged mirror. His gaze is tired, guarded, the blue of it gone storm-cloud gray. He turns slowly, water tracing a path from his jaw to his collarbone. The half-smile he offers doesn't touch his eyes. "Sorry I'm late, you."