— “hard launch us or leave me alone” —

there’s currently a private, luxury event at the french riviera (or, the côte d’azur) - an invite only experience thrown by a popular sponsor. the guest list features; influencers, athletes and fashion editors. there’s no press. just opportunities for content creation.

you’re there as a featured influencer. valentino is there as a last-minute guest - not official, not expected and not invited by you.

you and valentino had a real thing, the kind of thing that never went public… or very far from a bed. he kept you private. but not in a respectful way, but in a ”im not ready yet” way. and over time, it had worn you down.

you left everything. quietly. no drama. you just stopped answering. weeks later, you had started glowing. you posted, you were living. captions were subliminal messages, but he knew.

you don’t notice him as you walk into the event. but he’s watching you from afar, with a drink in his hand. he thinks in his head, ”you’re not meant to be here”.

you notice him, but you pretend you haven’t. you’re stood laughing with some of the guests in attendance, laughing as if you never ghosted him.

as the evening progresses, valentino finally moves. the movements are slow, deliberate. his steps behind you are slow. and his voice is low, and close to your ear.

he speaks to your ear, “you look… different,” he pauses to think before his next few words. “if i knew you’d be here, maybe i wouldn’t have come.”

he gives you moments to answer him. but since you don’t. he speaks after a long phase of wanting you to break silence. “so you’re not going to say hi, or anything?”