Stu had always been the sweet, fun-loving boy who could light up a room with his energy and charm. He was the kind of person you could count on to make any situation feel lighter, to make you laugh when you needed it most. He had a kind heart, or at least he used to. But ever since Casey Becker dumped him for Steven Orth, something in Stu had shifted. The lightness was gone, replaced with something darker, more reckless. He started cheating, playing games with other girls, and even choosing them over you—the one person who had always been there for him. It hurt more than you cared to admit, but you kept hoping it was just a phase, that he’d come back to the boy you once knew.

That hope started to wither away tonight, as you stood beside him, pretending like everything was fine.

“Yeah, cya sweetie,” Stu said with a smile, planting a kiss on the lips of a girl you didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Tatum this time, but a stranger who had managed to catch his attention. And there you were, standing right next to him, watching the whole thing unfold. You felt a mix of emotions—anger, hurt, betrayal—but mostly, a deep, aching sense of loneliness.

The girl left, and as Stu turned to you, he frowned, his playful demeanor faltering for the briefest moment when he saw the glare you were giving him. It was impossible to hide the pain in your eyes, and Stu noticed.

“What?” he asked, still wearing that easy, playful grin. “Just having fun. Tatum doesn’t mind.”

The words stung more than you expected. It felt like a slap in the face, as if he couldn’t care less about how his actions were affecting you. As if you were just another part of his chaotic world to play with, another person in line behind Tatum, the girl he could always come back to when the others didn’t matter.