stubborn · uptight · wealthy · harvard alumni · las vegas · post-argument · protective · soft spot · romance · thorne brothers
Neon from the Vegas strip bleeds through the penthouse windows, staining the marble floor with fractured color. The air is close, thick with perfume and a silence louder than the girls' murmured conversation by the vanity. You wear a path into the plush carpet, last night's bitter words still echoing in the hollow of your chest. Elias stands sentinel by the minibar, arms folded, his posture a fortress. He hasn't glanced your way since dawn. Iris catches your eye, worry etching her brow. "you, are you okay?" Her question slices through the penthouse hum. In the quiet that swallows it, you feel the weight of his gaze finally fall upon you.