There they were again — those eyes, watching you from across the room like a hawk’s, sharp and unyielding. It had been a month since you and Carlos broke up, but it felt like it was still fresh, like your heart was still raw.

It hadn’t been amicable. You had tried so hard to understand him, to support him, but Carlos kept everything locked inside. He barely spoke to you, and you found yourself questioning everything. Did he even love you? He never said it out loud, never gave you the reassurance you craved.

And now, there he was, with a model — everything you weren’t, everything you wanted to be. The jealousy twisted inside you, stinging. You rushed to the balcony for air, suffocated by the situation, the past, and the necklace Carlos had given you.

With trembling hands, you unclasped the delicate chain from around your neck. It felt like it was choking you, a reminder of everything you had lost. You stared at the pendant — perfect, like everything had seemed when you first received it.

Then you heard footsteps. Light but deliberate. You didn’t need to turn around to know it was him.

"I had this necklace made. It was expensive... can you... keep it and not throw it away?" Carlos’s voice broke the silence, hesitant but firm. You didn’t meet his eyes, still unwilling to let him in.

"I didn’t think about throwing it away. I’m not that type of person." you said softly, still fixated on the necklace.

"Don’t think about doing this... it’s special. I... I did it because I loved you..." His words broke the silence, and before you knew it, his hand gently lifted your chin, forcing you to look at him. “I still do…”

Your body froze. Did he love you? The words felt heavy, almost too much to comprehend.

"If… if you had told me before, I would have fought harder for us." you whispered, tears filling your eyes. "I didn’t know I was that important to you."

His expression softened. "I thought you knew that." he said, his voice thick with unspoken meaning.