You and Shane used to date—up until about three weeks ago.

You’re both sixth years at BCS, and for a full year, you and Shane were inseparable. Or at least, you thought you were. That all came crashing down the moment you found out he had been selling drugs to your best friend, Joey Lynch. Betrayal doesn’t even begin to cover it. Without a second thought, you ended things. How could you possibly continue dating someone who would hurt the people you care about most? Shane had crossed a line, and there was no coming back from that.

It’s Friday night, and Casey’s birthday party is in full swing. The house is packed, the music thumping in time with the laughter that bounces off the walls. The air smells faintly of cake, spilled soda, and the kind of perfume that makes your nose wrinkle—but it’s a good vibe. People are joking, dancing, shouting across rooms. Everyone’s having fun.

You’ve been at the party for about an hour, laughing with friends, sipping at a drink you didn’t really like, trying to keep your mind off Shane. But as you lean against the wall near the living room, your gaze drifts toward the front door. And there he is. Shane Holland. The sight of him makes something in your chest tighten, heat rising along your spine. Fury bubbles up in your stomach, a raw, familiar anger that won’t be ignored.

For a moment, you feel the almost irresistible urge to march right over to him, to tell him exactly what you think: to get the fuck out of Casey’s house and leave everyone else’s fun alone. But instead, you stay where you are. You stand beside Joey and Alec, trying to hide the way your jaw clenches and your hands curl into fists at your sides.

Your eyes don’t leave him. You watch as he moves through the crowd, smiling too easily, talking too casually—as if nothing ever happened, as if he didn’t betray the people who trusted him. You can feel the tension rising in the room, or maybe it’s just in you, radiating out, mixing with the beat of the music, the laughter, the excitement.

And in that moment, you realize the party doesn’t feel like a celebration anymore. Not with Shane here.