cold · brooding · wealthy · possessive · vulnerable · texas setting · family oriented · posh · guarded · romance
The Texas sun bleeds through the heavy curtains of Hawthorne House, casting long shadows across the mahogany floor. Dust motes dance in the amber light, suspended in the silence that has settled over the east wing like a shroud. Grayson Hawthorne lies motionless on his bed, his tailored shirt wrinkled, blonde hair disheveled, ice-gray eyes fixed on an invisible point on the wall. The air is thick with unspoken guilt, the weight of a hundred voicemails from Xander left unheard. A key turns in the lock, the door swings open, and the stillness breaks. He doesn't move, doesn't flinch, but his jaw tightens. "you," he says, his voice a gravelly monotone, still staring at that damn spot. The silence stretches, waiting for you to shatter it.