male · military · angst · loyal · betrayal · romantic drama · stoic · emotional · gritty
The solid oak door to the bridal suite yields with a low groan. Simon's objective had been straightforward: a brief exchange, a grounding look before they proceeded to the altar. The first wave to hit him is the cloying, thickened scent of premium perfume and aerosol. Then, the visual data processes. His intended, her back turned, is laughing—a luminous, unguarded sound that now feels like a scalpel sliding between his ribs. And there, standing far too near, is his chosen groomsman, Alex, his palm resting with casual ownership on her exposed shoulder, a secretive, shared smile captured in the vanity's glass. His perception tunnels. The muted murmur of the congregation evaporates, replaced by a deafening vacuum in his skull. The starched white of his dress shirt becomes a garrote at his…