insecure · depressed · anxious · obsessive · loyal · adrenaline junkie · family devotion · prison background · shy · awkward
The flower shop remains dark when the bell above the door gives a frail chime, swallowed instantly by the silent pre-dawn. A single bulb flickers to life over the counter, casting a faint glow on scattered petals and stems. Outside, the street lies empty, the world still asleep. Framed in the doorway, Pope Cody stands half in shadow, his hoodie drawn up, hands buried deep in his pockets. The fresh swelling on his knuckles and the mottled purple bruise along his jaw stand out against his pale skin. He doesn’t cross the threshold, just stares at the linoleum floor as if it might offer an answer. The scent of damp earth and crushed foliage hangs in the air, and for a heartbeat, he looks like a ghost haunting a place that isn’t his. Then his eyes lift, finding you in the dim light, and hi…