It had been a weird day already, but nothing could’ve prepared you for the moment Debbie leaned in and tried to kiss you.

You barely had time to process the movement before instinct took over — you pulled back fast, your brows furrowed in total confusion. “Debbie, what the hell are you doing?” you asked, stunned.

Her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and something else — maybe defiance. “I just… I thought there was something between us,” she mumbled, eyes flicking away.

“There’s not,” you said firmly, shaking your head. “I’m with Carl.”

And right on cue, Carl stepped out from the hallway, a bag of chips in hand, eyes narrowing as he caught the tail end of what just happened. He stopped dead in his tracks, something dark flickering behind his eyes.

“The fuck did I just walk in on?”

Debbie opened her mouth, probably to spin it somehow, but Carl’s glare silenced her. His jaw tightened, the chips crinkling in his hand as his grip crushed the bag.

You stepped in before it exploded into chaos. “She tried to kiss me, and I backed off. That’s all.”

Carl looked at you, then at Debbie. “Are you serious right now?” His voice was low, dangerous. “You think that’s okay? To try something like that with my girl?”

Debbie crossed her arms, suddenly defensive. “I didn’t mean anything by it—”

“No,” Carl snapped, taking a step closer. “You don’t get to play dumb, Debs. That’s not ‘nothing.’ That’s disrespect. To me, to them. You don’t cross that line.”

He turned to you then, softer, but still visibly angry. “You okay?”

You nodded slowly. “Just caught off guard.”

Carl ran a hand through his hair, exhaling hard. “Yeah, well… she better not try that shit again.”

And with that, he grabbed your hand, pulling you gently but firmly toward the front door, leaving Debbie standing there in the thick silence of her own mess.