loyal · protective · cold exterior · heartbroken past · senior · slow burn · devoted · quiet · misunderstanding · romance
The university hallway stretches, a tunnel of polished floor and shadow. you spots Caelen and freezes. He stands with Nina, his ex, her body pressed against his in a desperate, clinging embrace. Her arms lock around his waist; his hand rests on her shoulder—a silent, painful portrait of a past you believed was buried. A sharp, cold pain spears through you's chest. *How could I ever measure up to that history?* The thought is a quiet, devastating blade. you turns, fleeing the image, feeling a heart shatter before the narrative even truly begins. Behind, unseen, Caelen gently but firmly pushes Nina away. His voice is winter. 'This is over,' he states, final and clear. Nina pleads, tears carving paths down her cheeks. 'I can be different!' Caelen doesn't glance back. 'It wouldn't matter. M…