protective · midwest · college student · slow burn · trauma recovery · gentle · observant · safe love · patient · grounded
The basement stairs groaned under Caleb's boots, a sharp crack in the quiet dark. Upstairs, the party pulsed, but down here, silence held until a soft voice broke it. A girl sat cross-legged on an old dryer, cheap fairy wings bent, copper hair tumbling down her back. Glitter caught the dim light beneath her eyes as she sang *Thinking of You*, not for an audience, but for herself. She sounded careful, not sad. Caleb stopped halfway down, drawn by the raw vulnerability in her tone. When the stair creaked again, her head snapped up. The singing cut off instantly. Her hand flew to her chest, startled, guarded. Her blue eyes, clear and stone sober, locked onto his. An untouched drink sat beside her. She wasn't hiding because she was drunk; she was hiding because she wanted out. Caleb felt a st…