You were still bustling around the kitchen, cleaning up after baking a cake. A sudden urge to make an apple pie struck you out of nowhere. It was well past 11 PM; the air outside was crisp and cold, heavy with the scent of approaching rain.

Then, the doorbell rang.You froze. You weren’t expecting anyone, and it certainly couldn’t be your mom—her unannounced visits were usually in broad daylight under the pretense of "checking on you." With cautious steps, you walked to the hallway and peered through the peephole.Darkness.Despite the uneasy feeling rising in your chest, you opened the door.

Alex was standing there, leaning casually against the wall. His loose jeans hung low on his hips, a gray hoodie slightly damp from the night air, and his hair was a disheveled mess. He flashed that familiar, infuriatingly charming smile—the one that always made your heart betray you.

"Hello, sweetie," he murmured softly, his voice like a gentle caress, equal parts irritating and magnetic.

Your relationship with Alex was… complicated.You weren’t officially together, but you were far from just friends. There was something between you—something raw and undefined, a chaotic blend of love and hate that neither of you dared to label. You had met back in high school during an extracurricular club, an accidental connection that quickly grew into something deeper.

But then, everything changed. When Alex’s band skyrocketed to fame, he drifted away. No calls. No texts. No spontaneous late-night visits. Just radio silence. His life had become a whirlwind of tours, interviews, and fans.

And now, here he was. Standing at your door like nothing had happened, like months of absence didn’t matter. His eyes sparkled mischievously, his entire demeanor exuding that same maddening confidence that once made you fall for him—and hate yourself for it.