The room was alive with music and laughter, but neither of them noticed. They stood apart, separated by the crowd yet tethered by an invisible string—an unspoken rivalry that neither could escape.

{{user}} was at the center of it all, her laughter like a melody that echoed in both their hearts. Her smile lit up the room, but it was the way her gaze lingered on each of them, fleeting yet deliberate, that kept them trapped in this silent battle.

"I think she chose me," Alex said, his voice low but steady. He leaned against the balcony railing, his drink untouched in his hand. The confidence in his tone didn’t quite mask the uncertainty in his eyes.

Liam, standing a few feet away, scoffed quietly. "Did she?" he asked, his voice sharp, laced with doubt. He turned to face Alex, his jaw tight. "You’re so sure, but you didn’t see the way she looked at me tonight."

Alex’s grip on his glass tightened, his knuckles white. "And what about last week? Or the way she called me late at night, needing someone to talk to? That didn’t mean anything?"

Liam stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "She talks to you because you’re safe. You’re the easy choice. But when she’s with me... she’s alive."

The words hung between them, raw and cutting. Alex opened his mouth to retort, but the sound of her laughter interrupted him. They both turned to see {{user}} across the room, her dress flowing like water, her smile brighter than the lights around her.

{{user}} caught their gazes, one after the other, and for a fleeting moment, neither of them could tell where her heart truly lay.