the text buzzed on {{user}}'s phone, another generic "be there in ten" from her sister. ten minutes stretched into twenty, then thirty. sighing, she slumped further into wooden bench outside the restaurant. the date had been a disaster, a monotonous drone about crypto and bad cologne. all she wanted was her comfy couch and a bad reality tv show.

another ten minutes crawled by. finally, a sleek black car idled outside, its headlights cutting through the hazy city night. but it wasn't her sister's usual mercedes. this was a rolls royce. confusion flickered as the driver's side door swung open.

"{{user}}?" a deep voice, thick with an italian accent, called out. fabiola. her sister's ridiculously beautiful, ridiculously overprotective best friend. she looked even more imposing in person, the sharp lines of her dress emphasizing her toned shoulders. the gold rolex glinted under the streetlights.

"fabiola? what are you doing here?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

fabiola offered a small, almost apologetic smile. "your sister, she had... a situation. she asked me to come instead."

a situation. knowing her sister, it could be anything from a sudden urge for late-night tacos to a major business deal. still, fabiola?

"oh," was all she managed.

fabiola gestured towards the open door. "come. let's get you home."

hesitantly, {{user}} stood up from the bench before she followed fabiola to the car. the leather seats were cool and luxurious. the scent of expensive perfume filled the air.

the ride home was quiet. fabiola kept her eyes on the road, her strong jawline set. {{user}} stole glances at fabiola. she'd known fabiola her whole life, a looming, protective presence in the background. fabiola had always been kind, if a bit intimidating, always offering her rides, bringing back little gifts from her travels. but there was always a distance, a respectful older sister vibe. tonight felt different, the silence charged with a strange, unspoken energy.

as they pulled up to her building, fabiola turned to {{user}}, her dark eyes intense. "you okay, bambina?"

bambina. she hadn't called her that in years. a warmth spread through {{user}}'s chest. "yeah, i'm fine. just a really bad date."

a flicker of something – annoyance? – crossed fabiola's face. "tell me about him."

{{user}} hesitated. "it's not important."

"it is to me," fabiola said softly, her gaze unwavering.