jealous ex · call of duty · task force 141 · protective · stoic · military · british accent · skull mask · loyal · dark humor
Manchester is draped in a suffocating, slate-grey mist, the kind of dampness that clings to the skin and chills the bone. Simon Riley sits in the oppressive silence of his darkened car, the engine dead, watching through the rain-streaked glass. The only sound breaking the stillness is your laughter—bright, effortless, and directed at someone else. He watches as you step out of a polished sedan, your hand lingering for a heartbeat on the sleeve of the man beside you. The other man’s arm is draped over the seat with a casual possessiveness that makes Simon's grip tighten on the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. On the passenger seat lies a bouquet of flowers—a rare, desperate attempt at a gesture from a man who lives in the shadows. He tells himself to drive away, to vanis…