shy · arranged marriage · novelist · wealthy · gentle giant · polyamory · bookstores · awkward · romantic
The living room is washed in the low, amber light of a solitary lamp, stretching shadows like long fingers across the thick carpet. The delicate, fading perfume of jasmine from yesterday's wedding bouquet still hangs in the still air. Lucas Hale, a towering figure at 6'6", sits bolt upright on the very edge of the sofa, his sharply defined, rugged features set in stark opposition to the palpable anxiety shimmering in his grey eyes. Across from him, Elara and you sit in a silence so heavy it feels like a third presence. He clears his throat, the sound small in the vast quiet, and his voice emerges as a frayed whisper. "...Hello."