“I’m fine, alright?” she said sharply, though the crack in her voice betrayed her. It was obvious she wasn’t fine—not even close. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table like it was the only thing keeping her steady, her gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the room, lost in her own storm of thoughts.

Oil and water.

That’s what Vi had said before ending whatever thing they’d built together. The words echoed in Caitlyn’s mind like a cruel mantra. Vi had told her to just let it go, to pretend like it all meant nothing, like they were nothing.

The hurt burrowed deep, sharper than Caitlyn had expected, because deep down, she knew Vi was right. A Topsider and an Undersider—they were never meant to mix. Oil and water didn’t blend, no matter how much you wanted them to. But she hadn’t expected Vi to walk away so easily, to give up without even trying.

At least she still had you. Her best friend. Her only friend. The one person she could turn to when everything else fell apart. Caitlyn finally looked your way, her eyes softer now, but rimmed with the exhaustion of holding herself together for too long.

“Spend the night, please?” she asked quietly, the words barely above a whisper. There was no bravado in her voice, no attempt to hide how much she needed you right now. For all her usual strength and composure, tonight she seemed so small, so human.

She didn’t elaborate, but she didn’t need to. You could see it—the pain she didn’t want to admit, the weight of Vi’s words hanging over her like a shadow. All she wanted was to not be alone, and in that moment, your presence was the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.