You could swear you’d really tried to make this relationship work. You’d given it time, effort, and patience. But how much could one person give when the other seemed to only take? You were exhausted.

For weeks, you’d been asking your boyfriend for just one proper date. One evening where you could feel seen, appreciated. Eventually, after countless arguments, he relented. But instead of the cozy dinner date you’d hoped for, you found yourself at a noisy, overcrowded bar. How romantic.

The night dragged on, with him glued to his phone and nursing his beer while barely acknowledging your presence. When he finally excused himself to use the restroom, you barely reacted, too drained to even muster frustration.

As you sat there, staring absently at the condensation on your glass, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out, expecting a message from a friend, but instead, your breath caught in your throat.

It was from him. Ghost.

The man you’d been seeing before your current boyfriend. The man who’d disappeared when his work pulled him away, ending whatever connection had been growing between you two before it had the chance to bloom.

"Disrespectfully, I don’t care who you’re dating. You look better with me."

Your heart skipped a beat as you read the words. He was here? Watching you? Your eyes darted around the bar, scanning the faces of strangers until they landed on a figure in the far corner.

There he was. Ghost. Leaning back in his chair with an air of casual confidence, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze was locked on you, intense and unwavering, a silent challenge in his eyes.