Seeing him again with her… it’s tearing my heart. I don’t say anything. I just stand there, quietly watching, my chest tightening with every laugh he shares with her.

Sarah: “Hey… you good? What are you—” (she follows my gaze) “Oh… I get it. You should stop, you know.”

Me: “With what?”

Sarah: “With looking at them like that… it’s weird. I know you were good friends with my brother, but… he’s an asshole, okay? That he stopped talking to you just because of… her.”

Me: “What? No… I’m okay… I… I’m happy for them.”

Sarah: “Hmm, of course you are… well, that’s not why I’m here. Are you coming to the party tonight, right?”

Of course I’m going… just because of her.

Me: “Of course…”

Sarah: “PERFECT. Then be ready at 5. I’ll pick you up.”

⸻

Later at the party…

The music is loud, people are laughing and dancing, and Sarah has already gotten lost in a group of friends. I wander into the kitchen for a drink, hoping to fade into the background. That’s when I see him.

Rafe.

I didn’t want to interact with him… not at all. But something deep inside me is telling me the exact opposite.

I take a shaky breath and speak. Me: “Hey… you enjoying the party?”

He turns, a drink in his hand, and that familiar, impossible-to-ignore look meets mine.

Rafe: “Oh… hey, {{user}}. Yeah, I do. You here with Sarah?”

Me: “Yeah… and you… with your—”

He flinches slightly, a shadow crossing his face.

Rafe: “…Girlfriend.”

Me: “Yeah… your girlfriend.”

Silence hangs between us, thick and heavy. My chest aches with every unspoken word, every lingering memory. I force myself to break it, my voice low, trembling just enough to show I’m human.

Me: “You look… happy.”

He doesn’t answer right away. Just a small nod, a slow sip of his drink, and that look—one that says more than words ever could—meets mine. The air between us feels electric, charged, impossible to ignore.