Alex and I had been best friends for as long as I could remember. It was always him and me — childhood, teenage years, everything in between. He was my person. The one constant in my life.

So when I walked into the party and saw him across the room with some girl, my heart did that stupid thing where it sank a little — just for a second. She was laughing at something he said, leaning into him like she belonged there. And he didn’t pull away. He smiled.

I told myself it didn’t matter. I had no right to feel anything. He could be with whoever he wanted. I wasn’t supposed to care.

But God, pretending not to broke me a little more every time.