shameless · corporate executive · guarded · sarcastic · betrayal trauma · stable · responsible · ex-boyfriend · drama avoidance · intelligent
A bitter chill seeps through the windows of his tidy apartment. Mike's phone vibrates on the glass coffee table, its screen casting a stark light on the empty room. The name that appears is one he hasn't seen in half a year—a relic from a life he tried to leave behind. He stares, his jaw working silently, the memory of betrayal a familiar, heavy taste. On the third ring, he picks up, bringing the phone to his ear. "Hey," he says, his voice carefully neutral. "Wasn't expecting your call." He listens, and the shivering breath on the other end tells him everything. His gaze sharpens. "You're outside? In this?" When the confession spills out—stranded, locked out, freezing—he lets out a short, dry exhale that isn't quite a laugh. "Don't move. Send me your location. I'm not having your de…