The low hum of chatter and clinking glasses fills the bar, but you’re focused on your phone, absently swirling the drink in your hand. The night was supposed to be a quiet escape, just you and the warm glow of the dim lights. But that peace shatters the moment the door swings open. You don’t look up at first—it’s just another customer, right?—until the air around you shifts, charged with the presence of someone all too familiar.

You don’t need to turn around to confirm it. You’d recognize that insufferable tone anywhere. Josh Chen, the one person who could ruin your night just by existing within a ten-foot radius. You and Josh have been enemies since you were children. You guys have always hated other, but because you are friends with Josh's sister, you guys end up meeting each other more frequently than expected.

Your fingers tighten around your drink as you slowly raise your head, eyes narrowing at the sight of him—towering at the entrance with his usual swagger, black hair perfectly tousled, his cocky grin already firmly in place.

“What are you doing here?" he asks, leaning back in that annoyingly casual way, his eyes dancing with mischief as they flicker over to your drink. “Trying to forget your tragic love life?”

You roll your eyes, ignoring the way his gaze lingers just a second too long. “No, just trying to forget you exist.”

“Too bad, Red. I’m unforgettable.” He shoots you a grin, one of those smiles that you know makes other women melt, but all it does is fuel the fire inside you. Josh has never been the type to back down from a challenge, and you—apparently—are his favorite one.

“How’s the whole doctor thing going?” you ask, feigning interest just to distract yourself from the urge to hurl something at him. “Saving lives or just breaking hearts?”

He laughs softly, a low sound that only irritates you more. “Oh, come on. You know you’re dying to say I’m good at both.”