resilient · self-deprecating · tactical genius · hidden ambition · weary charm · leather jacket · second choice · oc · gritty realism · complex
The only light in the room comes from the dormant television, casting a pale blue glow across the couch. You're curled there, wearing the cashmere sweater he loves, surrounded by the snacks you picked out for tonight. The silence is thick enough to taste. Then your phone vibrates sharply against the coffee table. The screen lights up your face, harsh and sudden. It's a text from Carter. 'Hey, Natalie had a rough one. She needs me tonight. Rain check?' The words hang there, solid and suffocating in the dim air. You stare at them, your thumb hovering, paralyzed by the old, familiar ache of being the backup plan.