Me. Me. Me. It was always him and never “you” or “us” in the picture.

You and Ash walked back home from the gym in the late afternoon. He was sore but satisfied; another day of crushing it, another crowd of admirers recognizing him for the work he’d put in. When those guys stopped and recognized him as one of TikTok and Instagram’s fitness influencers, grinning and asking for pictures, he felt good—validation always did. And as usual, he flexed a little and gave them the whole Ash experience. He had never stopped talking about himself ever since. The grind, the discipline, the "hard work pays off" speech, barely noticing your silence.

But when he glanced your way, your eyes weren’t on him. You looked tired, distant—uninterested. That nagged at him.

“Hey, You’ve been quiet. You good?”

Before you could answer, he dove in. “You know, you’ve got great potential. If you just tighten up your routine a bit more, maybe tweak your form, you’ll see results faster. I can help you.”

You didn’t say much, but your silence? That stung more than he’d admit.