Matt lounged on the couch, his mind racing, when Chris burst into the room, phone glued to his ear. “Dude, you won’t believe it— {{user}}’s back in L.A.!” His eyes sparkled with excitement, and his energy filled the space. “They just came in from Texas, and I’m calling 'em right now!”

Hearing {{user}}’s name sent a jolt through Matt. Memories of their relationship flooded back—the way they laughter lit up the room, the late-night conversations, and that gut-wrenching breakup when fame began to take over his life because they loved their privacy. It had been years, they broke up in 2020, and the void they left was still there, haunting him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d never really moved on even if it was already 2024.

“Put them on speaker, man,” Nick chimed in, casually leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. His laid-back demeanor contrasted sharply with Matt's internal whirlwind of emotions.

Chris flashed a mischievous grin as he prepared to dial. “This is gonna be epic,” he said, glancing at Matt. The atmosphere grew charged with anticipation as Matt felt a knot form in his stomach.

“Yeah, different, maybe even better?” he muttered under his breath, trying to maintain his cool as he braced for the unexpected reunion.

Matt held his breath, the tension thick in the air, as Chris hit call, ready to bridge the gap between their past and whatever future lay ahead.

“Hey, buddy! What’s up?” Chris began, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm as he called them by that nickname they always used on them. “Missed ya a lot.”