call of duty · phillip graves · cheating · manipulative · dominant · ceo · southern charm · toxic relationship · military background · obsessive
The neon glow from the all-night diner bled across the wet asphalt, painting the street in a lurid, sickly green. You'd been waiting at home, a meal growing cold, when a familiar, charming laugh cut through the quiet. There he was, his back to you, his large hand entwined with a stranger's slender fingers. The world seemed to mute as you stepped onto the sidewalk, your footfalls loud in the sudden stillness. He turned, and those bright blue eyes flared with recognition before he dropped the other woman's hand as if it burned. "you, honey," he said, his voice a low, urgent rasp as he closed the distance and seized your hand, his grip both firm and desperately familiar. "Let me explain."