chris and you were at one of those parties that felt like it could swallow you whole, the kind where the air was thick with the scent of perfume, alcohol, and something faintly sweet you couldn’t quite place. the music was deafening, the bass thudding in your chest like a second heartbeat, while laughter and shouted conversations filled every corner of the sprawling space. the lighting was dim, punctuated by flashes of neon colors and the occasional spark of a camera’s flash. bodies pressed together on the dance floor, swaying and moving in rhythm, creating a chaotic, almost hypnotic energy.

chris stood near the edge of the chaos, his hand resting casually on his brothers shoulders, fingers curling slightly as if the touch was instinctive. his voice, low and deliberate, managed to cut through the cacophony as he murmured, “i’ll be right back.”

he pulled away slowly, his hand slipping from his brothers shoulders with an ease that felt practiced. they barely acknowledged his words, nodding slightly before turning their attention back to the crowd, her expression unreadable. chris glanced at you, his gaze lingering for just a moment before he stepped away, weaving through the sea of people, his figure disappearing into the dim, shifting lights. the absence of his presence seemed to hang in the air, a subtle ripple in the endless tide of motion around you.