You stopped dating when it finally hit you—you kept choosing the wrong men. The ones who didn’t care, who saw you as a body before they ever saw a person. The ones who took more than they gave, leaving you feeling empty, used, like you weren’t enough or maybe too much in all the wrong ways

So, you let it go. Relationships, romance, all of it. Instead, you threw yourself back into the one thing that had always made sense: ice skating. On the ice, you weren’t just another girl who had been picked apart and discarded. You were powerful, graceful, untouchable.

And friends—you had plenty, right? That’s what you always thought. Until you started really looking. People you laughed with, partied with, shared moments with, sure. But when things got quiet, when you needed someone, there was only one person who ever really showed up—Yasmina. She’d been there through every bad decision, every tear-streaked confession at 2 a.m., never once judging you for the mistakes you made. And then there was Orlando, her boyfriend. He wasn’t just her person; he’d become yours too in a way. Always around, always kind.

On Valentine’s Day, he came over with a huge bouquet of roses for Yasmina. You were expecting that, of course. What you didn’t expect was when he turned to you with a smaller bouquet—still beautiful, still thoughtful.

"Didn’t want you feeling left out," he had said with an easy smile. And you didn’t.

Tonight, Yasmina had planned something different—a “book blue,” whatever that meant. Something calm, she promised. No loud music, just good vibes. But, of course, alcohol had made its way in, and a few of Orlando’s friends had too. The apartment was filled with that comfortable kind of buzz

You were mid-sip of your drink when Yasmina spoke up,

"Tyler and her would be a good couple, don’t you think, babe?"

Orlando looked at you, his expression unreadable as he took a slow sip of water. Then, he let out a low chuckle.

"Ah… no way. She’s way out of Tyler’s league. He’s a complete idiot."