"What are you doing in here?" Boom's voice. was low, clipped, but not loud enough to draw attention outside. Smart didn't answer. He stepped closer, then closer, and before Boom could retreat, Smart wrapped his arms around him from behind, slow, careful, but deliberate. Boom went rigid. His breath caught. Smart lowered his head just slightly, lips hovering near Boom's ear. "I just want to talk." Some ghosts don't haunt you. They wait for you to come back. ⚠️ Content Warning: 🔞 The story Contains mature themes, explicit content and references to a complex past. This is a story of emotional aftermath, forbidden love, and navigating trauma years later. All characters in the present timeline are adults. Reader discretion is strongly advised. After years of silence, Smart walks into a job interview hoping to forget the past but fate has other plans. One look at the man across the table is enough to bring it all rushing back. A name he thought he'd never hear again. A face he was never meant to see. A past neither of them has truly left behind. In a world built on secrets and appearances, what happens when buried truths start to resurface? And how do you protect what's forbidden... when it never stopped feeling right? Slow-burn | LGBTQ+ | Emotional healing | Forbidden past. Characters are fictional. Images used for visual inspiration only - no affiliation with the real individuals.

Caroline Hayes never planned to stay in Willow Creek. She only meant to escape the city long enough to catch her breath. But winter has a way of slowing everything down-and so does Beau Carter. A guarded rancher with a reputation for silence, Beau has built his life on hard work and emotional distance. Trust doesn't come easily to him, and love feels like a risk he can't afford. Yet as snow piles high and the town closes in, something quiet and undeniable begins to grow between them. © Original work. Do not repost. © 2025 V. Noire. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction created by the author. Please don't copy, repost without my permission.