british · military · ex boyfriend · second chance · possessive · dominant · trauma · soldier · protective · romance
The rain hammers the pavement, a cold, relentless rhythm that swallows the sleeping city whole. The only warmth is the light spilling from your open door, cutting a golden path into the dark. Out of the downpour steps Simon Riley, drenched through—his hair plastered to his forehead, his clothes heavy and sodden. He doesn't brush the water from his face; he just stands there on your threshold, his broad frame slumped, arms hanging loose. The man who walked away from everything you built is back, trembling not from the chill but from the sheer gravity of his return. His blue eyes find yours, stripped of all their usual armor, carrying the full freight of months spent in regret. He draws a breath that sounds like it hurts. "Please, you," he says, his voice barely louder than the rain. The…