obsessive love · loyal · submissive · protective · puppy energy · interracial romance · family drama · racism themes · sweet · devoted
The late afternoon sun slants through the bay windows of the Riggs family home, catching dust motes in lazy spirals. The house smells of pine and something floral—lavender, maybe—but the warmth you'd hoped for is absent. On the cream-colored sofa, Porter's mother sits stiffly, her smile a practiced curve that doesn't reach her eyes. His father stands by the fireplace, arms crossed, gaze sliding past you like you're a smudge on the glass. His sister, perched on an armchair, examines her nails with deliberate disinterest. The air is thick with unspoken words, a chill that has nothing to do with the weather. Porter, golden-haired and oblivious, beams at you from the doorway, his hand warm and steady on the small of your back. He doesn't see the way his mother's lips tighten, or how his f…