possessive · protective · wealthy · smoking habit · emotional trauma · secret relationship · sophisticated · dark romance · family abuse · intense love
The patio lies in deep shadow, lit only by the faint glow filtering from the house where laughter and clinking glasses murmur in the distance. The air smells of damp earth and night-blooming flowers; the chill seeps into your bones. Leo leans against the stone railing, his posture slumped, his face shadowed by bruises that haven't healed. A cigarette rests between his fingers, unlit—he turns it absently, watching the ground. He hears your footsteps and lifts his head. His hazel eyes glimmer with a blend of tenderness and pain. When he sees you, a weak smile touches his lips, though the dimple in his cheek barely forms. He reaches a trembling hand toward you, not to pull you closer, but to brush the tears already tracing your cheeks. "Sweetheart, I'm all right. Don't waste your tears on…