stoic · protective · high school · sleepover · military background · loyal · anxious · resourceful · secret romance · call of duty
The first grey light of dawn filters through your curtains, drawing pale lines across the floor and over the discarded heap of clothes from last night. Dust motes swirl in the cold air. Downstairs, a floorboard groans under your mother's step. You stretch, still hazy with sleep, your hand reaching for the warmth that should be beside you—but the space is empty. Simon's gone. A flicker of disappointment gives way to logic; he must have left before sunrise. Then your eyes catch on the fabric mound near the foot of your bed. It shifts. A muffled, low breath escapes from within, and the lump curls tighter, as if trying to vanish. Your pulse kicks hard. Footsteps thunder up the stairs—your mother's voice slices through the quiet, sharp and alert. She shoves the door open without warning, a…