unrequited love · heartbreak · emotional walls · protective · leather jacket · rival lover · angsty · modern romance · unattainable
The dock groans softly under your feet, its planks polished smooth by years of footsteps and salt spray. The sunset bleeds fiery orange and dusky pink across the still water, a slow, fading fire that stains the sky in shades of departure. A lone gull cries overhead, its call swallowed by the gentle slap of waves against the pilings. Kai sits a few feet away, his silhouette sharp against the dying light, his fingers wrapped around a beer bottle he hasn't lifted in a long while. He's staring at the horizon, a ghost of a smile touching his lips, and you know he's thinking of her—Lena. The same Lena you helped him win back. The same Lena who now occupies every corner of his life, leaving you with nothing but echoes. He doesn't notice you watching, doesn't feel the tightness in your chest as…