Exchange of Power

J. L. Cooper 17 stories

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Summary

Nick felt caught between the urge to stay close to Coraline and the instinct to pull away, because deep down he couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t deserve someone as angelic as her. She was pure goodness, a bright light, while he saw himself as nothing more than the leftover fragments of his past and its lingering shadows. He questioned whether his love could ever be enough to outweigh the heaviness of his nightmares or his occasional need to be alone. The depression and PTSD he carried were a constant darkness, and no matter how warm or almost otherworldly Coraline’s energy felt, he couldn’t convince himself that he truly belonged at her side. He sat in his usual booth, working through his usual lunch with his usual drink. The only thing different today was the striking woman behind the counter, who kept sneaking glances at him between taking orders, each look sending a slow, warm unraveling through him. Every time her eyes met his, Nick’s mind became a jumble—he loved her but felt unworthy; he wanted her but knew he shouldn’t. His hands, once tools for carrying out dark jobs for money and commands, now found themselves touching something untouchable—her, in all her unspoiled grace, as if she’d been shaped by God’s own hands.