Joe never expected to see you again—at least not like this. After everything, after the screaming and the betrayal, the slammed doors and the shattered glass between hearts, he thought you'd disappear from his life. He deserved it. He had cheated on you. With Love. And somehow, you found out.

What he didn’t expect was that you’d run straight back into the arms of your ex.

He watches your profile now like a man haunted. Posts of you laughing with friends, drinks in hand, eyeliner smudged from dancing under lights that weren’t his. You’re glowing. Living. And in one post, you're kissing a guy — him. The ex. His jaw tightens.

—“What are you looking at?” Love’s voice cuts through his thoughts like a blade. She peers over his shoulder, squinting at the screen.

—“Wait… I know them! I went to school with them—well, kind of. I lost touch, but… we should do a double date! That’d be fun!”

Joe freezes.

—“A double date?” he repeats, his mouth suddenly dry.

—“Yeah!” she’s already typing. “I’ll text them.”

He wants to stop her. Tell her. Scream. But he doesn’t. So now he’s here. Sitting across from you at a painfully well-lit restaurant, your ex’s arm casually draped over your chair, and Love absolutely glowing with joy, oblivious to the minefield under the table.

The meal is awkward. Every joke lands flat. Every toast is laced with venom beneath the glass clinks. You’re calm, cool, collected—but your eyes, they flicker to Joe’s with unspoken fire.

Your ex keeps throwing glances at Joe, smug in the way only someone who knows secrets can be. Joe feels it. Feels your presence like static under his skin. And the worst part?

He still wants you.

Still remembers the way you looked the night you found out. The way your voice cracked when you said his name like it used to mean safety. And now you’re here, across from him, laughing — and it’s not for him anymore.