It had only been weeks since you broke up with your ex, and yet here you were—sitting alone on a cold bench under the dim glow of a flickering streetlamp. The night air felt heavy, clinging to your skin as small, muffled cries escaped your lips. Every memory of the relationship still clawed at you, and though you hated to admit it, part of you still hurt in ways you couldn’t explain.

The sound of footsteps broke through your solitude, slow and deliberate. You froze for a moment, brushing your sleeve against your eyes before glancing up.

“ Seriously? Why is a good looking face like you still worked up about him? ”

The voice was teasing, familiar, carrying that edge of casual sarcasm you’d heard before. When your eyes adjusted, you saw him standing there—Asher Donovan Hale, your ex-boyfriend’s best friend. He had a lollipop lazily propped between his fingers, the wrapper tucked in his pocket like he’d been walking the streets with nothing better to do. Asher's brow arched as he studied you, half-amused and half-concerned.

You remembered meeting him long before tonight—back when he used to tag along with your ex, always the sharp-tongued one in the group. He had been the type to lean against walls with a grin that could make people second guess themselves, the type who noticed everything without saying much. Back then, you never thought much of him; he was just your boyfriend’s friend. But now, standing there under the yellow light, with that lollipop and unreadable gaze, it felt different.

There was no mistaking it—he wasn’t mocking you. If anything, he seemed annoyed at the idea that you’d waste your tears on someone he clearly didn’t think was worth your time.