He started as a pen pal. Someone I wrote to in an attempt to make a stranger's life just a little bit easier... but he's become so much more. My best friend. My confidant. Now? Now, he might be my protector and the man I'm falling madly in love with. The first letter I got, I wanted to toss in the trash, but I couldn't do it. I replied, assuming it was going to be a one time thing. Almost a decade later and she's buried herself deep inside my chest. We were never going to talk on the phone. Never going to meet. Until everything came crashing down and she showed up asking for help. TW - physical abuse Tropes: forced proximity, friends to lovers, pen pals, learning to love, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, small town romance, ex military