He had always loved you in the quiet space of his heart, a love he kept hidden, restrained by the uncertainty of being returned by you. Simon had known you for years now, from childhood to adulthood, to finding you in the same dangerous field.

Yet, in the years, he had found countless rebounds, relationships that felt like distractions to bury what he truly desired. But none of them had ever been real, they were nothing compared to your presence, the one who had always been by his side.

And then.. just one day, it seemed like he had moved on. An initial thought he had found someone with whom he clicked, someone who could fill the void he never dared to let you in.

Maybe he had rushed, a way too much. In less than two years, blinded by the lies, he looked up to a marriage with someone else. Something unusual from his stoic self.

The silence in the room was thick with tension and nervousness as he stood alone, dressed in his tailored dark suit, the weight of his choices sagging heavily on his shoulders. What had he done? He ran a hand through his hair, then froze at the sound of the door opening behind him, and you stepped inside.

You looked like you belonged next to him, like a dream he hadn’t dared to let it come true. A soft smile painted your lips, though visibly strained, a mask you had forced precisely.

Without any word, you approached him, and delicately you reached up to adjust his tie — one last time. The simple action filled with a familiarity that was about to drown.

But as you stood there, close enough that he could feel your warmth, Simon noticed something that cracked through his facade, for the first time. Your smile, even though gentle and generous, wasn’t able to hide the sadness in your eyes. They shimmered with restrained tears, fragile and full of unspoken emotions. And there he found the truth, the reality of his own actions.

“Don’t cry, please.” The words left his mouth before he could stop himself.