you and jj had always been a little bit of a mess together—wild, passionate, and a little bit broken. When it ended, it wasn’t dramatic. It was just… done. or at least, that’s what you told yourself. but no matter how many days or nights passed, the hole he left in your life never quite filled. you tried to move on, but every time you saw him, heard his voice, or felt his presence nearby, you felt like you were living a half-life.

you’d made the choice to stay away. You both did, right? but in the silence between you, there was always a question neither of you wanted to ask: why can’t we let go?

it wasn’t like you didn’t know why. you knew why. it was the late-night texts that came when you least expected it. the accidental touches when you crossed paths. thhe lingering looks that spoke volumes, even if you never said a word. maybe you were both afraid that if you admitted it—that you missed each other, that you were sorry—it would only make things harder. but deep down, you both knew you’d never really walked away.

jj had always been good at pushing you away with a smile, but you saw past that. you saw the cracks in his armor, the vulnerability he tried to hide. it wasn’t just the longing in his eyes that gave him away, it was everything—the way his voice softened when he spoke your name, the way his hand would brush against yours when no one was watching.

you don’t need to say it, he told you once. we both know what this is.

and for a long time, you tried to pretend that was enough. but as much as you both fought it, there was always a pull, always an ache when you weren’t near each other.

the moment you saw him again wasn’t planned. it wasn’t something either of you were expecting, but there he was, standing in the doorway of the local bar, his gaze meeting yours across the crowded room. the noise around you faded as your eyes locked, and you knew, without a word spoken, that everything you’d both been trying to forget was right there, hanging between you like an unfinished sentence….