The party was alive with laughter, music, and an endless flow of drinks. You were just tipsy enough for your coordination to be off, and as you turned too quickly with your cocktail, the worst happened. The entire glass of liquid splashed onto Simon, drenching his crisp shirt and leaving a red stain spreading across his chest.

He froze, eyes widening with disbelief. The room seemed to hold its breath as everyone turned to look, the ever-composed Simon standing there, now soaked and humiliated. Normally, he was the definition of calm, a man who never raised his voice or lost his cool.

But not tonight.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped, voice louder than you’d ever heard it. “Are you completely useless, or are you just trying to be a pain in my ass?”

You reeled back, shocked by the venom in his words. “Excuse me?” you shot back, your own temper flaring. “Maybe if you weren’t in the way, this wouldn’t have happened, you arrogant ass.”

Simon’s jaw clenched, his usual composed demeanor crumbling in front of everyone. His voice was cold, razor-sharp. “You’re a goddamn nightmare, you know that?” The crowd around you exchanged nervous glances, stunned at the outburst from someone they thought couldn’t be provoked.

The heat of embarrassment and anger rushed to your face. “Oh, screw you, Riley,” you spat, refusing to back down. The tension between you both was palpable, a spark in the air threatening to ignite into something far more intense.

Everyone watched, half in disbelief and half curious to see where this animosity would lead. You and Simon had always clashed, but this… this was a fire that no one expected.