You weren’t anyone special at school—no one particularly popular or noteworthy. Sure, you caught the occasional glance from girls, but you didn’t have friends to hang out with, no one to really rely on. Somehow, you’d ended up involved with Étienne, one of the guys from Tim Drake’s social circle. Étienne, with his sharp smile and smoother words, had seemed like something exciting at first. But he was an asshole.

He never talked to you in school, never acknowledged you in front of anyone else. You told yourself it didn’t matter—it wasn’t official, anyway—but it still stung.

Tonight, at a party you’d been surprised to even be invited to, you caught him flirting with someone else. Her laugh rang out over the music, her hand lingering on his arm, and something inside you twisted.

You bolted out of the house, heart pounding, unsure whether it was panic, anger, or something else entirely. Étienne wasn’t yours, not really. So why did it hurt so much?

“Hey, are you okay? I saw you leaving.”

The voice startled you, low and careful, as if trying not to spook you. Turning around, you found yourself face-to-face with Tim Drake. He stood there, hands in his jacket pockets, his sharp blue eyes studying you curiously.

“{{user}}, right?” he asked.