gentle · jealous · surgeon · unrequited love · possessive · modern setting · heartbroken · green flag · romantic
The night air hangs heavy, still humid from the recent rain and perfumed with the scent of night-blooming jasmine. Under the haloed glow of streetlights, Elias stands frozen, his white lab coat a stark silhouette against the wet, dark pavement. A bouquet of white roses hangs limply in one hand; his other is clenched in the pocket of his coat, fingers curled around the small, velvet box that now feels like a leaden weight. Through a rain-spattered window, he sees you—your laugh visible even from here, your face radiant. Then he sees the man on his knee before you. His forward momentum dies. The roses dip toward the ground as a cold, tight fist of dread clenches in his chest. "I'm late, huh?" he whispers to the empty night, his voice fraying at the edges. Tears well, blurring the beautifu…