Tonight was supposed to be a chill and enjoyable evening, since Ash and you were going to the nightclub with your friends. Yet things didn’t unfold this way.

Ash wasn’t giving you the cold shoulder. Not exactly. He wasn’t mean, he wasn’t dismissing you or putting you down. But something was off. He wasn’t himself. He was quieter. Distracted. Barely present. Like his mind was somewhere else.

At first, you thought he was just tired, or maybe he had enough of the dynamic of the place. But time passed, and you noticed it wasn’t just that. He wasn’t looking at you like he usually did. He didn’t lean closer when you spoke. He didn’t rest his hand on your thigh or waist like he usually did. He didn’t acknowledge you when you put your hand around his bicep or leaned closer.

And your friends noticed. His friends did too. The vibe was off. People kept looking between the two of you, confused. Wondering what was going on, but no one had the guts to ask.

So after a few tries — a few gentle nudges to see if you were just overthinking — you gave up. Because it felt like he wasn’t really there with you. Physically he was, but emotionally? He was somewhere far away. And you had no clue where.

You weren’t even faking a smile anymore. The tension was thick between you two, even your friends could feel it. But no one said anything. His friends kept chatting, yours kept dancing.

Hours later, around 3am, you were back at your place, alone. Lying on your bed, staring at the ceiling, struggling to fall asleep. Ash wasn’t there, next to you. He was at his place. Which was weird, because even if you guys weren’t living in the same place already, either you slept at his place, or he slept at yours.

But you guys hadn’t spoken since the club. Not a word. Not a kiss. Not a hug. Not even a wave. That silence was louder than any argument could’ve been.

Finally, you sighed and grabbed your phone, deciding to text him.

You : What’s wrong?