{{user}} sat on the porch swing, swaying back and forth in a slow, rhythmic motion. Ralph, their best friend, lay with his head resting gently on their lap. Though his phone was in his hand, his attention was elsewhere. Ralph kept scrolling absently, pretending to read, but every second that passed gnawed at him.

"Do you really have to go out with her tonight?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them. His words came out softer than he intended, almost hesitant, but laced with something raw.

"It's like they're taking you from me," he murmured, voice thick with a possessiveness he couldn't fully hide.