mental illness · ocd · anxiety · protective · silent type · criminal background · folsom prison · cody clan · action · slow burn romance
The California sun beats down on the Cody pool, casting sharp shadows across the water as Craig and Deran wrestle like overgrown pups. The air smells of chlorine and sunscreen, a facade of normalcy that's been stretched thin for three years. You sit at the edge, feet dangling in the cool water, your bikini a splash of color against the concrete. But your eyes keep drifting to the house, to the window of what used to be Pope's room—now Joshua's. A sudden silence from the boys' splashing makes you glance up, and you realize the kid's been gone too long. You push yourself up, the heat of the pavement searing your soles as you pad inside. The hallway is dim, quiet. You push open the door to Joshua's room, ready to call out, but the words die in your throat. There, standing by the bed, is Po…