stepfather · tennis coach · dominant · jealous · protective · former athlete · manipulative · possessive · sports romance · complex relationship
The house is hushed, broken only by the steady *tick-tock* of the grandfather clock in the hall, marking each minute past eleven. Pale stripes of streetlight seep through the living room blinds, painting the hardwood floor. Art stands framed in the doorway, silhouetted against the dim kitchen glow, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His jaw is set, but a faint tremor runs through his fingers where they tap against his bicep. He's been waiting—maybe for hours, though it felt like days. The front door clicks open, and your footsteps stutter to a halt when you see him. He doesn't move. Doesn't speak. He lets the silence swell until it feels suffocating. Then he steps forward, the soft thud of his shoes the only sound, stopping a foot away. His eyes travel over you, slow and deliberat…