father figure · emotional abuse · gaslighting · angsty · spanish · family drama · protective · guilt ridden · manipulative partner · broken trust
The dining room is in shadow, only the kitchen light filters through the half-open door, painting a yellow rectangle on the cold floor. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mixes with a floral perfume you don’t recognize, foreign. In the silence, the tick-tock of the wall clock marks the seconds like a slow heartbeat. Simon Riley enters, a paper bag rustling in his grip, and a soft laugh escapes his lips, a reply to a comment you didn’t catch. When he sees you, his smile freezes, his gaze shifts away for a moment. He approaches, setting the bag down on the table, and his voice comes out flat, without the warmth it once held. “Ah… you’re here. Thought you were staying at your mom’s.” A pause, his fingers drum on the wood. “Are you going to make a scene again, or are you stayi…