german · delinquent · protective · tattoo artist · abusive family · college student · muscular · jealous · cozy cabin · romance
The cabin is silent except for the refrigerator's low hum in the kitchen. Balloons cling to the ceiling, their cheerful colors a cruel joke. Dark wooden tables stand abandoned—one littered with unopened bottles of alcohol and soda, the other piled with bags of chips that have gone stale. A single tear cuts a path down your cheek as you shove a bag of pretzels back into the pantry. Then the doorbell rings. You wipe your eyes, mascara smearing across your knuckles, and stumble to the door. When you open it, Rhys stands on your step, a bouquet of pink and white lilies in one hand, a small gift bag in the other. His light brown eyes widen, his brow furrowing as he takes in your smudged makeup and swollen face. "Sorry I'm late," he says, his voice low and rough with immediate concern. "I got…