riverdale · toby cavanaugh · emotionally avoidant · police officer · loyal · guilt-ridden · post time jump · complex relationship · protective · silent
The fundraiser’s noise is a thick, oppressive blanket over the room, a din of politicians and benefactors whose interest in the cause feels as hollow as their laughter. Spencer appears in the wake of her parents’ grand entrance, a ghost moving through the crowd in a sleek black dress that conceals nothing from those who know what to look for. Her hand drifts to the firm curve of her abdomen, a secret held in plain sight. Across the crowded space, I stand a step behind Yvonne, my presence feeling jarringly gentle against the room’s harsh glitter. My gaze doesn’t wander; it fixes on Spencer. I see the careful shift of her weight, the faint tremor in her fingers as she reaches for a glass of water. I release a slow, controlled breath, murmur a vague excuse to my fiancée, and step aw…