ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑑?

he can’t feel the beer seeping in his veins anymore; adrenaline had burned the nerves clean off. “sam, don’t—” the voice comes out lower than intended, all gravel and half-swallowed confessions. “if you leave because i showed up, that’s… that’s backwards.” brad’s voice slams through the kitchen like a bottle against tile — apollo’s jaw ticks. of course the dude’s name is brad; the universe never misses a stereotype when it can cast one. he doesn’t turn fully toward the living room doorway, just angles his head enough to clock the guy’s outline—cap backwards, arm slung over the couch like he owns the air. “you’re popular tonight. your boy brad’s getting thirsty ... If you gotta answer the summons, I get it." a low blow, that he can't stop before it's out.

the tension between them is palpable.  she doesn’t remember the last time things had been like this  –  where they weren’t on the same page.  it started sometime last week and bled into this one,  unanswered texts and frustrating sorry i was sleeping replies.  ❛ summons? ❜  she laughs,  half a mind to play into his game and retreat back to the corner she came from  –  but then he would leave,  and her pride was far less powerful than her desperate need to keep him around as long as possible.   ❛ what the hell is wrong with you? ❜  brows furrow as she finally gets out the question she’s been dying to ask since last friday.   ❛ you’ve barely talked to me all week and then you come in here and act like i’m hurting your feelings by passing the time.  i don’t even know why you would care,  you’ve been too busy for me anyway. ❜

cheap ipa clings to his jacket, but it’s the aftertaste of betrayal he can’t swallow. "would it have really mattered?" a grin. thin, cracked porcelain — hangs on his face anyway. for one second he lets himself memorize her under the party lights— softening at her cheekbones, glitter from someone else’s body spray dusting her collarbone. beautiful, yes, but also… altered, like a song remixed without consent. his throat locks. all he manages is a shrug that feels like surrender. “i don't want to ruin your night, so i'll just go.”

his question stings.  of course it would have mattered.  whenever he’s in the room,  her entire world gravitates towards him.  orbiting around him like he’s her own personal sun.  in his presence,  there’s an ever-present ache for more  –  a line that can’t be crossed.  it’s irritating but far more tolerable than his absence would ever be  ‘yo,  sam!  bring me a beer on your way back.’  maybe - brad shouts and she turns for a brief second.  ❛ no, no - you don't have to leave. i was actually just about to go anyway, so - ❜  she lies,  pouring her freshly poured cocktail down the sink.

he'd waited all this time, and for what? to be the audience to his own disaster? "guess you found a way to pass the time." words land with a chuckle at the end — a pathetic attempt to cover the gaping wound opening up in his chest. the friendship, that sacred, precious thing they’d both sworn to protect, now felt like the world’s biggest joke, and he was the punchline.

you know what they say  –  when you’re trying to get over someone,  get under someone else.  it’s a tale as old as time,  a film that everyone had seen before.  but could you really call it getting over someone if you were never with them to begin with?  looking into his eyes with the taste of  ( what was his name again?  brad? )  on her tongue, the answer was painfully obvious  –  yes.  ❛ ollie. ❜  her hand tightens around the red solo cup in her hand.  the drink she had to fetch for herself.  ❛ i didn’t think you were coming. ❜  perhaps if she’d known,  she would have chosen a different form of catastrophic self destruction.

                                   ❝      it's      really      good      to      see      you,      ❞      even      though      everything's      different      now.      the      latter      half      dies      out      on      tip      of      her tongue,      but      leaves      a      singe      behind      that's      impossible      to      ignore.      ❝      i      heard      you're      doing      well      ⸻      new      job,      new      girl.      i'm      really      happy      for      you.      ❞

she  was  the  kind  of  devotion  that  you  never  quite  recover  from.    many  nights  spent  wondering  why  things  had  gone  the  way  that  they  had,    replaying  memories  like  dvd  chapters  until  the  disc  was  scratched.    he  hadn’t  been  the  same  since,    he  never  would  again.    ❛  yeah,    well    –    i  guess  i  owe  it  all  to  you.  ❜    passive  aggressive  was  the  tone,    hurt  was  the  color.    ❛  wouldn’t  be  where  i  am  now  if  i  was  still  begging  at  your  feet  like  a  dog.  ❜

                                    wine      glass      in      hand,      contents      sweet      enough      to      match      feigned      expression.      had      always      been      good      at      pretending,      keeping      this      mask      on      for      the      sake      of      being      cordial      ⸻      especially      when      it      came      to      these      trivial      events.      clad      in      suit      he'd      put      zero      thought      into,      hues      trained      on      nothing      else      but      her.      would      think      he'd      choose      to      be      subtle,      but      wasn't      his      polite      demeanor      &      half-assed      small      talk      enough      to      satiate      his      parents      for      the      evening?      allowing      gaze      to      wander      was      his      one      and      only      treat      to      himself      ...      they'd      have      to      pry      it      from      him.      ❝      what's      this      one's      name,      tonight?      surprised      they      haven't      given      up      on      you      yet,      setting      you      up      with      someone      is      clearly      a      lost      cause.      ❞

she’d  finally  been  able  to  unlatch  herself  from  his  polished side    –    a  night  spent  smiling,    nodding,    only  speaking  when  spoken  to.    it  was  unbearably  boring,    almost  as  boring  as  the  conversations  surrounding  her.    it  wasn’t  until  they  began  partaking  in  a,    rather  heated,    discussion  about  the  yacht  club’s  new  membership  policy  that  she  was  finally  able  to  escape.    there  was  no  telling  how  long  it  would  take  until  he  noticed    –    but  she  knew  exactly  who  would.    a  subtle  smirk  curves  at  her  lips  when  he  approaches,    a  tell  that  this  was  precisely  her  plan.    ❛  leo.  ❜    paris  sighs.    ❛  the  kind  of  guy  who  thinks  that  a  stock  portfolio  counts  as  a  personality.  ❜    she  turns  to  face  eian.    ❛  but  that’s  nothing  new.    i'm afraid that  my  parents  think  that’s  my  type.  ❜

     “  well,  it  all  hurts.  it  always  hurts.  getting  hit  by  a  car  hurts.  getting  set  on  fire  hurts.  and  getting  thrown  out  of  a  window  really  hurts. ”

nursing  school  hadn’t  prepared  her  for  this.    she'd  expected  busy  hallways  and  sterile  white  rooms    –    not  a  movie  set.    but  life  had  a  funny  way  of  changing  course.    ❛  is  it  fun,    though?  ❜    she  asks,    brow  arched.    ❛  you  enjoy  it,    right?    i mean, i  couldn’t  imagine  getting  hurt  daily  for  something  that  wasn’t  worth  it.  ❜

" wait you think that story was about you? wow okay so your ego has only gotten bigger since we broke up. " attempting to laugh it off she pushed down the panic at being called out, at being confronted for sharing their toxic relationship masquerading as someone else's on tonights show. " i thought you couldn't stand to listen to my voice, so why were you even listening ?"

her  ego  was  big,    sure,    but that  was  old  news    –    didn’t  change  the  fact  that  the  story  was  most  certainly  about  her.    ❛  so,    what  you’re  telling  me,    is  that  you  also  snuck  into  a  museum  with  someone  else?  ❜    she’s  bluffing,    she  has  to  be.    scarlet  shrugs  at  her  observational  accusation.    ❛  my  ear  was  itchy.  ❜    she’d  always  been  a  bit  superstitious  anyway.

"i don't need your help. if i did, i would have asked for it." every word a shard of glass in her throat, but she had to make them believe it, had to make them see the monster she was pretending to be. "whatever you think you feel for me, bury it."

her  words  are  sharp    –    tongue  slick  as  a  knife,    cutting  back  the  soft  exterior  he  had  come  to  know.    ❛  no, i  know  you  don’t  need  it.  ❜    he’s  just  as  curt,    a  swift  shake  of  his  head.    ❛  you’re  the  strongest  woman  i  know    –    it’s  whoever  has  you  twisted  up  like  this  that  needs  the  help.  ❜    honest.    ❛  doesn’t  mean  i  don’t  want  to  help  you    –    or  that  i  think  you’re  lyin’  when  you  tell  me  to  bury  it,    luc.  ❜

HE JOINS THE OTHER ON THE COUCH, offering them an ice pack and an apologetic smile. « keep it lifted, » kace advises, carefully wrapping a hand around their calf, lifting it slowly to prop a pillow underneath. « you sure you alright ? you took quite a tumble. »

cassandra  winces  as  she  adjusts  her  ankle  on  the  pillow,    taking  the  ice  pack  from  his  grip  and  resting  it  against  her  skin.    ❛  i  guess  now  is  the  perfect  time  to  come  clean  and  tell  you  that  i  lied  about going  snowboarding  before.  ❜    she  laughs,    running  her  free  hand  through  her  hair.    ❛  i  did  rewatch  johnny  tsunami  on  d.isney  plus  before  coming  here but apparently  that  wasn’t  enough.  ❜ 

' is it true ? are you only with me because of my family's money ? '

a  job  is  a  job  is  a  job.    that’s  what  this  was,    that’s  what  he  was    –    another  way  to  make  some  money,    keep  a  roof  over  her  head,    please  the  people  that  made  those  two  things  possible.    she  hadn’t  expected  to  feel  something    –    in  fact,    she  was  incredibly  good  at  not  feeling  anything  at  all.    so  why  now?    ❛  i  was  .  .    at  first  –  ❜    she  can’t  look  him  in  the  eye,    can’t  face  the  consequences of her own actions  head  on.    ❛  that’s  not  how  i  feel  now.  ❜