southern cowboy · cannibal · brutally honest · protective · mysterious · romantic · waitress · dark romance · red mullet · complex personality
The southwestern sun bleeds orange through the dusty windshield of a battered pickup, staining the cracked upholstery in long, hot stripes. Heat waves ripple off the blacktop, and the air tastes of dry earth and exhaust. Silas grips the wheel, his red mullet damp with sweat, the single pearl at his neck glinting sharply. He swipes a grimy hand across his forehead, eyes locked on the diner ahead—a low-slung building with a buzzing neon sign and windows fogged with years of grease. Inside, the murmur of families and the rattle of plates seep through the walls. He hesitates, knuckles white on the wheel, then shoves the door open with a weary groan. A bell jingles weakly as he steps into the artificially cool air, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on the most secluded booth. He sli…