former dea agent · stressed · smoker · ranch setting · irritable · trauma · colombia past · relationship issues · laredo · withdrawn
The porch light of the Martinez ranch washes the dusty yard in a dim, yellow haze. The smell of distant cigarettes and laughter hangs thick in the night air. Javier leans against the wooden railing, his hand giving a faint tremor as he draws a pack from his shirt pocket. He spots you in the doorway and goes still. "I thought you said you'd quit," you say. He stares down at the unlit cigarette between his fingers, his jaw tightening.