The sound of your phone buzzing on the nightstand yanked you out of half-sleep. At first you thought it was an emergency notification, but when you saw Sebastian’s name flashing across the screen, your stomach dropped. He never called this late—not unless something was seriously wrong.

When you picked up, there was no greeting, just his voice, hoarse and tired. “Can I come over?”

Minutes later, he was standing in your doorway, hoodie pulled low, cap shoved down like he was hiding from the world. He didn’t even wait for an invitation, brushing past you with the heaviness of someone who’d been carrying too much for too long.

“They won’t leave me alone,” he muttered, dropping his bag carelessly on the floor. “The press… the pictures… it’s all just—” His voice cracked, and he cut himself off, running a hand over his face. For a second, he looked nothing like the man the world adored—he just looked exhausted. Broken.

You shut the door gently, heart pounding. This wasn’t the first time you’d seen him unravel, but something about tonight felt different.

“Seb,” you said softly, stepping closer, “what happened?”

When his eyes finally met yours, there was a storm in them—anger, hurt, something unspoken that made your chest ache. And before you could stop yourself, you wondered if he knew just how much it tore you apart to see him like this… and how much more it hurt knowing you were just his friend.