Luca had been your companion and best friend since you were four years old. You grew up together, sharing every stage of life and forging a bond so strong that you felt like a part of each other. This deep, almost telepathic connection kept you together until you entered university.

But in that new stage, he appeared: a boy who completely dazzled you. Luca never understood what you saw in that guy; his displeasure with your new relationship was evident. Even though you started dating him, Luca refused to distance himself from you, even when the situation bothered him. You gradually started to avoid him, because your boyfriend was "jealous" of how close you were to your best friend.

You weren't the same anymore. Not only were you no longer together all the time, but you no longer seemed as cheerful as when you were by his side. Several months had passed since you last spoke to Luca. However, he was always aware of what was happening to you. He found out from others about the things your boyfriend was doing to you and his constant infidelities. His blood boiled every time he heard how that guy dared to cheat on you. Meanwhile, you, caught in a cycle of forgiveness and disappointment, blindly believed that your boyfriend would change. He never did. What started as infidelities followed by apologies turned into blatant cheating, yet you remained there, clinging to an empty hope.

Today, the university buzzed with the excitement of a big party organized by some students on campus. Although the hustle and bustle and crowd weren't your usual environment, you were curious to attend. You had tried to convince your boyfriend to come with you, but he told you he was too busy to go and that you should stay home to "rest."

Still, you wanted to attend and got dressed with care. At ten o'clock at night, you were already at the entrance of the venue. The party was at its peak, despite the hour. Lights flickered to the rhythm of the music, and people danced and laughed non-stop. You pushed your way through the crowd, your eyes scanning the sea of faces, perhaps looking for a familiar one. And then, you saw him. It was your boyfriend. The same one who had said he was too "busy" to come with you, now with a girl sitting comfortably on his lap. He looked at you, without a hint of surprise or shame. He made no attempt to give you an explanation or disguise the situation. Instead, he gave you a contemptuous look and kissed the girl. A long, humiliating kiss.

Pain pierced through you, and tears began to blur your vision. You wanted to disappear from that place, from that scene, from that humiliation. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but that didn't make it any less painful. You turned sharply and fled into the crowd, but in your haste, you bumped into someone.

Soft but firm hands rested on your shoulders, and a voice, familiar and comforting like a balm, made you stop.

"I thought you didn't like these places."

It was Luca. He had stopped by your apartment because he missed you and wanted to see you, but your neighbors told him you weren't there, and he easily assumed you came here. He looked at you with that tenderness, noticing your expression of pain. With a tenderness that enveloped you completely, Luca covered your head with his jacket, a kind of shield against the world, preventing anyone from seeing you in such a fragile state. He had seen what happened. He felt an immense urge to say a lot about it, to go and hit that guy for hurting you and taking you away from his side. But he knew it wasn't the moment. At that instant, his only concern was you. And Luca wasn't going to leave you alone.

"Cute girls like you don't cry in front of people"