You and Drew had once been the kind of couple people envied. Not because everything was perfect, but because you loved each other. Late-night drives, spontaneous dinners, laughing until your stomach hurt—being with him had always felt easy.

Until his career started taking up more of his life.

Filming meant long days, different cities, missed plans, and weeks where seeing each other became something you had to schedule instead of something that simply happened. At first, you understood. Eventually, the distance started getting to you.

You brought it up, hoping the two of you could fix it.

Instead, it became another argument.

Then another.

Sometimes it was about filming. Sometimes it was about something so small that neither of you could remember why you had been angry the next morning. You’d apologize, laugh it off—and argue again days later.

Neither of you stopped loving the other. That was what made it worse.

Eventually, you both realized that loving each other wasn’t enough to keep the relationship from wearing you down. So you ended it.

You never really got over him; you simply learned how to live without him.

Then, last week, the internet made that harder.

Photos of Drew and Cailee Spaeny started appearing everywhere. They were filming together, had been spotted in public several times, and suddenly there were headlines about a possible romance. You told yourself it was none of your business. It still hurt, so you ignored it.

This weekend, though, avoiding Drew became impossible.

The party was held on a rooftop overlooking the city, with string lights hanging above the terrace and music playing softly beneath the conversations. You stood near the railing with a drink in your hand, watching the lights below when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind you.

“Didn’t know you still liked rooftop parties.”

You froze before turning around, already knowing exactly who it was. Drew stood a few feet away, one hand tucked casually into his pocket and a drink in the other. For a moment, neither of you said anything. He looked almost exactly the same, which somehow made it worse.

“Hey,” you finally said, forcing a small smile.

“Hey.” His eyes stayed on you for a second longer than necessary before he nodded toward your drink. “How’ve you been?”

“Good. Busy.” You took another sip, hoping it would make the conversation feel less awkward. “You?”

“Same.”

The silence that followed felt strangely familiar. You had spent so much time knowing everything about each other, and now you barely knew what to say. Eventually, your eyes wandered to the other side of the rooftop, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

“So…” you started casually, even though you knew you were walking straight into dangerous territory. “You and Cailee?”

Drew’s eyebrow lifted, and the corner of his mouth turned upward. “What about me and Cailee?”

“I don’t know. I just keep seeing you two together.”

“Are you jealous?”

You immediately scoffed. “No. I’m just asking.”

“Right.” He gave you an amused look before taking a sip of his drink. “You always were terrible at pretending you didn’t care.”

You rolled your eyes, turning back toward the city. “I’m genuinely happy for you.”

“Are you?”

The teasing in his voice had faded, replaced by something quieter. You glanced at him again, and Drew was already watching you.

“Are you dating her?” you finally asked.

His expression softened. “No. We’re working together. That’s all.”

Something in your chest loosened before you could stop it, and Drew seemed to notice.

“You really thought I moved on that fast?” he asked, stepping slightly closer.

You looked down at your drink. “I didn’t know what to think.”

“Maybe you should’ve asked me instead of believing everything you saw online.”

You looked back at him, and for a moment, the noise of the party seemed to disappear around you. There was still something unresolved between you, something neither of you had managed to leave in the past.

And standing there beneath the city lights, you suddenly wondered if maybe neither of you had actually moved on at all.