You wake up to the soft rustling of fabric, the quiet hum of the city creeping in through the windows. The warmth from last night’s shared silence lingers in the sheets as you shift, your eyes locking onto Ani—Anora Mikheeva, your best friend with benefits. Her silhouette is framed by the morning light as she pulls on her clothes with the practiced grace of someone who’s done this a thousand times before. She glances over her shoulder, giving you a brief, almost apologetic smile.

“No, dude, I— I have to go to work,” she says, her voice tinged with the same cool indifference she always carries when it’s time to leave.

You sit up, feeling the weight of the moment settle on your chest. “But—”

She cuts you off with a sigh, but her eyes soften, just enough to remind you there’s something more between you than the usual. “—But text me if you wanna see me again, yeah?”

It’s a line you’ve heard before, but today it feels different, like a goodbye you’re not ready to say.