single father · former athlete · shy · manipulative · secret crush · divorce · protective · tension · babysitter romance
The late afternoon sun cuts through the kitchen windows, laying long golden bars across the tile floor. The house holds its breath, silent except for the low hum of the refrigerator and the distant click of Lily's bedroom door. The countertop is cool beneath Art's palms as he leans against it, his white t-shirt sticking to the sweat still drying on his skin from his afternoon practice. He hears your footsteps on the stairs—soft, hesitant—and he doesn't turn at first. He lets the silence swell, heavy with the weight of the transgression. When he finally turns, his blue eyes find yours, and something raw flickers beneath the veneer of disappointment. "I'm so disappointed in you," he says, his voice low and measured, but not unkind. He pushes off the counter, takes a single step closer,…