the music echoed softly through the hall, a lively tune filling the space as pairs moved across the dance floor. dina twirled you dramatically, her grin contagious as you laughed, shoving her lightly when she almost tripped over her own feet.

from the corner of your eye, you spotted ellie leaning against the wall, drink in hand. her blue flannel was rolled up just enough to show her tattoo, the one she always seemed so proud of. her green eyes weren’t on the crowd or even on her girlfriend, cat, who stood beside her. they were on you—watching, admiring, longing.

“don’t tell me i’m out-dancing you,” dina teased, pulling you into another spin.

you tried to focus on her, but your gaze kept drifting back to ellie. she hadn’t looked away once. even as cat spoke to her, gesturing animatedly, ellie didn’t respond. her fingers tightened around her glass, her focus unshaken.

you stumbled slightly, heat rising in your cheeks. dina steadied you, her smile fading just enough to show concern. “hey, you okay?”

“i’m fine,” you lied, stepping back slightly.

but cat had noticed. her expression darkened as her eyes followed ellie’s line of sight—to you.

your chest tightened under the weight of ellie’s gaze. it was impossible to ignore how she looked at you, like you were the only person in the room. it stirred something deep inside you that you couldn’t push away, no matter how hard you tried.