Evan had been a mistake. He had treated you badly, showing little interest and leaving you with the feeling that you could settle for less... And you called him. Mattheo. As usual.

A few minutes later, Mattheo was at your door and you led him to your bed. As usual, there was an unspoken understanding between you two. The pact, the silence that followed those rebound nights—this time, it felt different.

He sat down beside you, his warm presence comforting in the dimness of your room. His hand found its way to your back, pulling you in close. His breath was warm against your lips, and instinctively, you leaned in, your eyes closing, ready to kiss him like you always had.

But this time, he gently pushed you back. Your heart skipped, confusion blooming in your chest. “I don’t think we can do this anymore,” he said quietly.

Your stomach twisted, and you sat up a little straighter. "Why? It’s been fine for a while now."

Mattheo ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his features. "F*ck... I don’t wanna be your rebound. I want to be your first choice."

You blinked. "I didn’t think you felt that way."

“Cause you never asked how I felt,” he said.

Your heart sank, and you found yourself stammering. "What do you want? You’ve been dating people, right? I mean, it’s not like you’ve just been waiting for me."

"When I go on dates," he continued, "I look at them and all I see is you. You can’t tell me that you don’t have feelings for me."

You swallowed hard. “Of course, I have feelings for you... But I can’t lose you.”

“I’m going to give you two choices here,” he murmured. “Either you tell me to leave, I walk out that door, I go home, and tomorrow we pretend like none of this happened, we stop the rebound, but we stay friends forever…” His eyes searched yours. "Or, you let me kiss you, and I finally get what I’ve wanted my whole life."

“What if I lose you?” you whispered, fear creeping into your voice.

Mattheo’s eyes softened, but his determination was still there. “What if you don’t?” he asked.