loyal · gentleman · protective · people we meet on vacation · best friends to lovers · caregiver · romantic · selfless · summer romance
The apartment air hangs thick, saturated with the sour-sweet smell of fever and abandoned plans. Beyond the window, a city continues its relentless pace, but in here, time has congealed around a single, ailing soul. A firm knock cuts through the quiet—not the expected tap of a neighbor, but the decisive sound of a choice made against all reason. Clayton Beresford fills the doorway, a suitcase at his feet, his blue gaze immediately seeking and softening at the sight of you bundled weakly on the couch. The visions of Tuscan hills fade into nothing. He crosses the threshold, the door closing with a soft, final click, enclosing you both in a hushed world of his making. His fingers are cool against your fiery temple, his voice a steady, low murmur in the stifling room. He speaks of cancellin…