You hadn’t seen or heard from Carlos in two months. The breakup had been calm, almost unnervingly so. No dramatic arguments, no storming out. You both simply acknowledged that the relationship wasn’t good for either of you and walked away. It should’ve felt freeing, but now, standing at this party surrounded by people yet feeling utterly alone, you couldn’t shake the weight of his absence. Your friends were here, laughing, drinking, but their company wasn’t enough to fill the void.

Then, your phone buzzed. Two missed calls. You glanced down and felt your heart skip a beat. It was him.

Moments later, a message came through: * “I’m alone. I moved to the Diamond building, a penthouse.” The words were simple, but you couldn’t ignore the undertone woven into them. It was almost as though he wanted you to hear the unspoken: that he missed you, that he was reaching out in a way only Carlos could. The kind of message that stirred up memories you’d worked hard to tuck away.

Your fingers hovered over the screen, indecision weighing heavily on you. You whispered to yourself, trying to convince your heart to be rational. Seeing Carlos tonight is a bad idea, right? But even as you thought it, you knew the answer wasn’t so black and white.