darling girl,

“one more night, and i will let you go.”

“i won’t lose sleep over your dead body.”

“i’m not as brave as i’m letting on.”

“how could you care about me?”

“i’ll never be the person i always hoped to be.”

“don’t show your face again.”

“i cracked under the pressure.”

“i fell in love with someone i shouldn’t have.”

“you said you’d always save me, so where are you now?”

“when will this fucking end?”

“i’m just a bad influence you want nothing to do with.”

“i’m not alright.”

“i won’t bow to no-one.”

“love is a war and you’ll never be saved.”

“can you stomach the truth?”

“it was a cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder.”

“you’re a victim of yourself.”

“i thought your love for me had died.”

“he can’t touch me now.”

“is this really what you want?”

“take a leap of faith with me.”

“i hate being all alone, but i’m better on my own.”

“it’s like you severed your humanity.”

“death’s banging on the door.”

“please, hold me.”

“do us a favor and disappear.”

“you took everything i had.”

“i can’t stay sober.”

“you went and fucked with someone that you shouldn’t have.”

“i don’t wanna keep living, so i just keep living it up!”

“it’s easier to rage than love.”

“is there a secret to saying goodbye?”

“maybe i’m keeping my demons alive.”

“stay away from me. i’m begging you, please.”

“am i too far gone?”

“am i the darkness?”

“am i an imposter?”

“they love to tell you it’s all in your mind.”

“some things, you can’t outrun.”

“is it too late to turn back time?”

“do i deserve my place on earth?”

“i won’t give them control.”

His blue eyes watched one of the mares trot along the far end of the track, her coat glinting under the late sun. His hand ran ABSENTLY along the brass handle, worn smooth by decades of use. "You don’t always know. You study the bloodline, the gait, how they handle pressure. But even then, it’s a risk. You pick one && live with it ---- win or lose." His eyes tracked the mare as she came to a slow stop, breathing steady, ALMOST calm.

The man's jaw worked for a moment, like he was chewing over the words; unused to hearing them said out loud. Compliments about the way he raised Zoe weren’t SOMETHING that came around often, not from strangers, not from anyone really. He cleared his throat, the sound rough in the quiet bakery && shifted his weight against the counter.

“Yeah, well,” he muttered, a wry twist of his mouth pulling at his features, “she makes it EASY. Kid knows what she wants. I just try not to get in her way.” His eyes shifted toward the window again, softening as he caught sight of Zoe still guarding her cupcake like it was GOLD.

“Though… don’t let her hear you call me a GOOD dad. She’ll start charging me rent for playin’ sous-chef.”

His gaze slid back to Olympia then, steadier this time something unspoken tucked into the way he held it. “Friday it is,” he said simply, voice even but lined with quiet RESOLVE. “I’ll bring her a bribe---- cookie, cupcake, whatever buys me an hour in here without her barging in. And… thanks.”

His hand brushed the counter again, fingertips dusted in flour, like he wasn’t quite SURE what else to do with them. “For this. Means more than you think.”

“  that part's important,  not hindering them from being the people they are.   hmm,  seems like she's in that rebellious phase where parents are so uncool.   i hear they grow out of it.   at least,  i'm hoping they do in my case.  ”

HE HADN’T EVEN STEPPED FULLY into the kitchen before the smell hit him ---- that deep, rich scent of chocolate that clung to the air like comfort itself. He set the takeout down the faint thud of the bag barely louder than the soft hiss of the oven cooling. Then her WARMTH met his; he didn’t need to look to know she was smiling. His arms found her waist, his chin came to rest just above her shoulder, && for a second, he just breathed. The world outside didn’t exist --------- no contracts, no noise, just her heartbeat && the quiet hum of the house he never thought he’d DESERVE to stand in.

When she turned to face him, the sight of her hair falling loose, cheeks kissed by heat from the oven hit harder than he’d ever admit. Their lips met halfway, slow && certain, and his hand came up to cradle the back of her neck ;; fingers brushing her skin like he might lose it if he PRESSED too hard. Her laugh broke between them, soft and easy, and he caught it in a quiet grin.

"If dinner gets cold..." He whispered, eyes glancing down to her lips again. "I’ll just say it was WORTH it."

He reached past her to kill the oven light, but his hand lingered on the counter near hers. "Why are you doing this?" Floyd said after a moment, his tone quieter now ;; roughened around the edges but WARM. "Make it real hard to remember what I came home for." His thumb traced an absent line along her jaw before he stepped back just enough to look at her properly. "C’mon." He added, smirk tugging at his mouth. " -------before that brownie starts callin’ my name LOUDER than you do."

she leaned back slightly as he created the slightest bit of distance between them,  a hand finding its way back onto the counter while the other remained on the back of his neck to keep him close.   the last thing she wanted now was more distance between them.   she had a different craving,  not one for food or dessert,  but for him.

her head tilted at his question,  the corners of her mouth upturned in amusement.      ❝  maybe i just wanted to remind you of  other reasons  you keep coming home,  ❞   she said,  the hand that was resting against the counter moved to reach for his,  though she made no attempts to interlock digits.   instead,  her fingers danced up his forearm and toward his shoulders,  where eventually both hands traveled down his chest,  feeling for the muscles beneath the fabric.