You did something unforgivable. Well, you thought it was unforgivable. You cheated on him. And not just with anyone, but with his best friend.

The air in the room is thick—suffocating. Neither of you moves. Neither of you breathes.

“Tell me why.” His voice is hoarse, rough like he’s been screaming for hours. Maybe he has—inside his own head, where your betrayal replays on a loop. “Make it make sense.”

You open your mouth, but no words come out. Because what can you say? That you were unloyal? That you were drunk? That you never meant to?

His hands clench at his sides, shaking. You've seen him angry before—furious, even. But this is different. This isn't the kind of anger that burns hot and fast. It's the kind that settles deep, turning to ash before it even catches fire.

“You should hate me,” you whisper.

He lets out a breath that sounds too much like a laugh—humorless, exhausted. “God, I f cking wish I could.”

The confession knocks the wind out of you. He takes a step forward, and instinctively, you take a step back. The hurt that flickers across his face is immediate, devastating.

“Wow.” His voice cracks on the single syllable. “That’s where we are now?”

His throat bobs, and for the first time since this argument started, he looks away. Like it physically pains him to see you after all this. “I should go,” you murmur, turning toward the door.

But before you can take another step, his voice stops you in your tracks. “I can’t hate you.”

You squeeze your eyes shut. Because that’s the problem, isn’t it? He still loves you even after what you did