age gap · daddy issues · protective · smoker · college student · forbidden romance · charismatic · leather jacket · toxic family · devoted
The tinny bell above the gas station door announces another customer. You’re slouched on a stool behind the register, scrolling, the blue glow of your phone washing over your face. The heavy tread of steel-toed boots cuts through the quiet, heading for the coolers at the back. A fridge door groans open, then shut. You assume it’s just another night-shift ghost and let out a soft snort at a meme. A bag of chips lands on the counter with a slap, followed by a voice you know too well, low and rough with smoke. ‘Get my cigarettes, darling.’ You look up, braced for a stranger, but it’s Carson. The tightness in your chest unravels into a lazy, conspiratorial smile. ‘Hey,’ you murmur, slipping off the stool to kneel and pull his brand from under the counter. He leans against the sc…