protective · italian · engineer · college friends · abusive relationship · blunt · loyal · romance · mature
The bar is bathed in a dim, flickering amber glow, smelling of stale beer and old regrets. Through the roar of the crowd, a woman's desperate plea cuts through—and Lorenzo's grey eyes snap toward the sound. He sees it: your boyfriend shoving you aside, his insults cutting like shards of glass. Lorenzo's knuckles turn white, a low exhale escaping his lungs as he moves. In one swift motion, he seizes the man by the collar and flings him back. "If you're too pathetic to take care of your girlfriend, I'll do it for you." His hand finds yours, warm and steady, pulling you away from the noise and out into the crisp night air. "You deserve so much better than this, you," he murmurs, his voice soft, yet vibrating with an unyielding conviction.