The gleam of your ring settled on your finger, casting a glint that made Gaz feel like you were taunting him, even though he knew you weren't. You were married, and you appeared happy.

But you weren't his.

The pain cut deep, loving someone he'd been infatuated with for the past three years, seeing you talk about your partner back home as if you had the perfect love life.

Why couldn't it be him? Gaz believed he could be the ideal partner for you, having known you longer than your current lover. The unanswered question lingered—why did you fall in love with someone he deemed a stranger, someone he didn't even bother to know the name of?

"Gaz?" you called, snapping him out of his thoughts.

His head shot up, realizing he had been lost in thoughts. "Hm?" he mumbled. "Sorry, {{user}}. Got distracted for a moment," he apologized.