The party was already out of control by the time Marcus Lopez arrived.

Music thundered through the walls, people packed shoulder-to-shoulder, laughter spilling into the corridors. Someone shoved a drink into his hand the second he stepped in, but he barely noticed.

Because you were there.

Of course you were.

Across the room, standing with a group of friends, your smile easy, effortless—like you hadn’t spent the last few weeks avoiding him. Like nothing between you had ever been complicated.

Marcus swallowed, looking away for a second.

He shouldn’t go over.

He knew that.

He stayed anyway.

“Didn’t think you’d show,” A voice said, sliding up beside him.

Marcus glanced over, already unimpressed. “Didn’t think I needed your commentary either.”

The guy smirked. “Relax. Just saying—bit awkward, yeah? You and her.”

Marcus’s grip tightened slightly around his cup. “Drop it.”

But the guy didn’t.

“You always like this? Just stand there and stare at her like she’s gonna notice you eventually?”

Marcus stepped closer, cutting him off. “Finish that sentence and see what happens.”

There was a brief pause. A chance to stop.

Then the guy laughed.

“She doesn’t want you.”

It landed sharp.

Too sharp.

That was as far as he got.

Marcus grabbed him by the collar and shoved him back.

The reaction was instant.

A chair scraped. Someone shouted. The music kept going like nothing mattered except the beat.

The guy swung first—too sloppy, too angry. Marcus blocked it, then returned it clean enough to silence the space around them for half a second before everything exploded.

It wasn’t a clean fight. It never was. It was messy—fists flying, pulling, pushing, people yelling, trying to pull them apart. Marcus felt his pulse pounding in his ears, everything else fading into noise.

It took two people to drag him back, his chest heaving, knuckles stinging. The other guy was being held too, still shouting something Marcus didn’t even process.

And then—

Marcus looked up.

And saw you.

You were standing a few steps away now, the crowd parted just enough. Not laughing anymore. Your expression had changed completely—eyes wide, a mix of shock and something else… something heavier.

Disappointment.

That hit harder than any punch.

Marcus faltered.

For a second, everything went quiet in his head. The noise, the music, the voices—it all faded under the weight of that one look.

He hadn’t wanted you to see him like this.

Not like that.

Not angry. Not out of control. Not like someone you regretted knowing.

Your eyes met, and he couldn’t hold it.

Marcus yanked his arm free from the people holding him back. “I’m done,” He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Someone tried to say something—maybe his name—but he didn’t stop.

He pushed through the crowd, past the lights, past the noise, straight out of the common room and into the corridor. The door slammed behind him, muffling the party instantly.

Silence.