simon ghost riley · call of duty · ex-husband · pregnant man · stoic · protective · military background · british · soft spot · second chance romance
Rain hammers a relentless rhythm against the café's fogged windows, painting the worn wooden floor with shifting, liquid shadows. Steam rises in a pale ghost from the cup of tea you haven't touched. The door swings open, a gust of damp, cold air rushing in with the silhouette of a tall man, his coat darkened by the downpour. Simon Riley freezes just inside, his broad frame going rigid as his piercing blue eyes find you—then drop, arresting on the gentle swell of your pregnancy. He moves toward your table with a slow, deliberate pace, his jaw clenched tight, and lowers himself into the chair across from you without a word. His gaze lingers on your stomach before lifting to your face. "Why," he asks, his voice a low rasp, "didn't you tell me sooner?" Beneath the gravel, there's an unmist…