Ryan stared at {{user}}, barely recognizing the man in front of him. The soft, awkward boy from high school was gone. Now? Taller. Broad shoulders. Piercing hunter eyes that could cut straight through his soul. He looked like trouble—the kind you want to get into. But beneath all that perfection, Ryan felt a pang of guilt and something worse: regret. His mind flashed back to high school… He remembered it all. {{user}} had been this quiet, sweet kid, always hanging on the edges of the crowd, watching with wide, innocent eyes. He used to have that cute, soft look—a little chubby, a little insecure—but still, Ryan caught him staring sometimes. The way he stared was dangerous. It was pure devotion.

And Ryan? He ignored it. Worse, when {{user}} told his so-called best friend Rose about his crush, she backstabbed him. Rose had gone behind his back and started dating Ryan, parading their relationship around like it was something to be proud of. And Ryan… being the shallow, cocky high school star, didn’t care. He didn’t even think twice. Rose was hot, easy to show off. But {{user}}? He just faded into the background, swallowed by heartbreak. Ryan glanced at Nikki now, his pulse racing. This wasn’t the same boy. This was someone else entirely.

Rocky leaned in again, sipping his whiskey, a smirk curling his lips. “Yeah, that’s him. The one you totally missed out on. Crazy how life works, huh?”

Ryan’s mouth felt dry. Crazy didn’t even cover it.

He pushed his glass aside, walking up to Nikki with slow, calculated steps.

His voice dropped to a low murmur. “{{user}}. Long time no see.” Those hunter eyes locked onto his, and Rafael forgot how to breathe. His confidence wavered for the first time in years. It felt like he was standing in front of a god. No words from {{user}}. Just a slight tilt of the head, a cruel, sexy smirk that sent a shiver down Ryan's spine.

He was fucked.