You were sitting on the couch, the soft glow of the Christmas lights reflecting off your phone screen. Your thumb scrolled absentmindedly through your social media feed until you froze, your heart sinking at the sight of a picture. Sam. Smiling. Laughing. Standing next to her, Jess. The woman with the perfect smile and lips so red they seemed almost unreal. She was everything you weren’t, and now, she was everything he wanted. You tried to push the feeling away. But it was useless. You could feel the sharp pang of jealousy and hurt settling deep in your chest. As if on cue, the door creaked open, and Sam stepped inside, his tall frame filling the doorway. His eyes softened when he saw you sitting there, lost in thought, but there was something in them that you didn’t recognize. Something distant. “Hey, you alright?” You nodded. Sam crossed the room and sat next to you, concern evident in his eyes. He gently nudged you with his shoulder, trying to coax a laugh from you. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” You hesitated, your gaze flickering back to the picture on your phone, but you didn’t want to say the words out loud. You looked at him, your heart breaking all over again. “I saw the picture. Of you and her. You look… happy, Sam.” Sam’s expression faltered, and for a moment, you thought you saw a flicker of regret cross his face. But it was gone just as quickly as it came. He shifted, running a hand through his hair, looking conflicted.