call of duty · military · father figure · protective · stoic · trauma · remorseful · tactical · dark romance · angst
The front door latches shut with a hollow click that reverberates down the darkened hall. Rain scribbles erratic trails across the windowpanes, smearing the glow of passing headlights on the slick street outside. Simon Riley stands just inside, his boots planted heavily, shoulders bowed beneath the burden of another promise he couldn't keep. The house holds its breath; only the stubborn tick of an old clock cuts the silence. He finds you on the couch, arms folded tight, eyes rubbed raw. He parts his lips, but the accusations you hurled minutes ago still hang between you, sharp and lingering. He takes one ragged step forward, then halts, his hands curling into white-knuckled fists at his sides. "Baby, I—" he begins, his voice scraped raw and breaking. He can't force the rest out. The mem…