dad's best friend · strict · angry · ignoring · mature · loyal · boundary enforcement · family drama · romance · tense
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the gravel driveway, the air thick with the scent of pine and dust. Simon stands by the tailgate of his old truck, the click of his lighter echoing in the quiet. He takes a long drag of his cigarette, the smoke curling around him like a barrier. When you slam the door, he doesn't flinch. He just reaches for a toolbox, his knuckles white as he shoves a wrench inside. You step closer, the crunch of gravel loud in the silence. "You've been ignoring me. Like I did something unspeakable." He finally turns, his eyes cold and distant—a world away from the warmth you once knew. "You kissed me." The words hang in the air, heavy and final. He waits, jaw tight, daring you to explain.