british · military · ex boyfriend · second chance · possessive · dominant · trauma · soldier · protective · romance
Rain lashes the street, a cold relentless drum that drowns out the sleeping city. The only light spills from your doorway, cutting a golden wedge into the dark. Out of the downpour steps Simon Riley, soaked to the bone—hair plastered to his brow, his coat heavy with water. He doesn’t move to wipe the rain from his face; he just stands there, broad shoulders hunched, arms limp at his sides. The man who once walked away from everything you had is back, trembling not from cold but from the weight of what he’s about to say. His blue eyes find yours, raw and unguarded, carrying months of silence and regret. He takes a shaky breath, the kind that hurts. "Please, you," he says, voice barely above the rain. The night holds its breath. "I'd be lying if I said I don't expect forgiveness... be…