pip

⋆˚꩜｡ gf alysa would take you to all the hidden gems in the Bay Area

"Where are we going?" You asked in the passenger seat next to Alysa.

"Don't worry about it. It's a surprise." She chuckled.

You gave Alysa a scared look but deep down you were excited on what her surprise was.

You both parked into a park, and Alysa quickly opened the door for you.

Alysa leads you to a empty field with flowers and trees around, looking closely you see a blanket and food placed from afar. You couldn't see much but as the more you both walked towards it, you were amazed of the hard work Alysa put into this.

It was neatly organized with all your favorite foods as well as Alysa's favorite foods. The area itself was so magical with all the nature surrounded the both of you.

"Where did you find this place?" You curiously asked.

"Just one of my favorite spots where I would to relax and chill."

"Also, I thought I would show you this spot. This could be our spot from now on."

You looked over at your girlfriend and smiled at her.

⋆˚꩜｡ gf alysa is so a night owl. When you're sleeping, she would wake you up with her laughing hysterically while she's watching Tiktoks on her phone.

Sometimes she would purposely shake you until you're awake to show the videos that she finds funny. You would often glare at her for blaming Alysa ruining your sleep and get annoyed of the brightness of her phone.

“Babe, look at this, it’s fucking hilarious.” As she shifts to you with her phone with full brightness.

You looked over at her with a pissed off face, hinting that you're not in the mood.

“Sorry,” she’ll whisper with a soft smile, putting her phone down and pulling you into her chest, leading you back to sleep.

⋆˚꩜｡ gf alysa first attempted to invite you to play Fortnite with her brother and cousin. You were hesitant at first because you were overthinking that you were gonna be terrible but you managed to carry the whole team in the end.

"Please play with us! We need another team member." Alysa pleaded.

"I don't know. I'm scared that i'm gonna embarrass myself and die."

"It's okay! I'll protect you from all the other players if they try to kill you."

You scoffed at her response.

"You can get an reward after.."

You looked at her confused, "What type of reward?"

She smirked.

Next thing you know, you're sitting on the PC joining your girlfriend's match.

For the entire match you were LOCKED tf in. You didn't speak or anything, just pure silence on your end.

You and the team were swarmed with enemies leading you to kill each and every one of them.

"WHAT THE FUCK." Alysa yelled while trying to shoot the other players.

You were on the verge of dying but still went to defend but there was too much of them.

"GET OFF MY GIRL." Alysa screamed while trying to save you.

Her and the rest of the team managed to kill all of them. Alysa stayed back to you to help you gain back health.

"Here drink this baby." She offered.

"Thanks." You said while laughing.

As the game was coming to an end you have to kill the last few people that were remaining.

"Okay guys, lock in."

You achieved to killing the last player, revealing the big "Victory Royale" on the screen.

Alysa got up running to you and kissing all over your face.

"You did so good! I knew you could do it!"

May 16, 2026 11:47 p.m.

Alysa walked back to her dorm room in silence, her eyes red and puffy as she tried to wipe away the tears still slipping down her cheeks.

Soft sniffles escaped her every few seconds, and her breathing came out uneven, like she had been crying the entire walk back.

The sleeves of her hoodie were damp from constantly rubbing at her face, but it did little to hide how upset she looked.

The moment she stepped inside, she barely glanced at Lotus.

Usually, Alysa would greet her with a kiss on the forehead, but this time there was nothing. Her shoulders were slumped, and she moved slowly, almost like she was dragging herself across the room.

Lotus looked up from Alysa's bed, immediately confused by her appearance.

For a second, she wondered paparazzi had bothered her due to the fact that many has came up to her doing atrocious actions towards her. But the longer she looked at her Lotus, the more she realized it was something deeper than that.

Alysa looked completely drained, like something had broken her down before she made it back to the dorm.

Without saying a word, Alysa dropped her bag near her desk and headed straight for the bathroom. A few seconds later, the sound of the shower turning on filled the quiet room. Steam slowly crept out from under the bathroom door as Alysa stayed hidden inside.

Lotus sat there silently, staring toward the bathroom with concern written all over her face.

Part of her wanted to knock on the door and ask if Alysa was okay, but another part of her knew Alysa hated being seen vulnerable. She could tell Alysa needed space more than anything else right now.

After sitting there for another moment, Lotus quietly stood up from her bed and grabbed her phone and keys.

She slipped out of the dorm as quietly as possible, careful not to make noise or let Alysa realize she had left.

Maybe giving her some time alone was the best thing she could do for her right now.

June 7, 2026

Alysa has been distancing herself from Lotus, she noticed the behavior from her and started to overthink herself even more.

"Am I doing something wrong?" She kept repeatedly asking herself. Lotus was wanting to confront Alysa about her behavior these past few weeks.

Alysa and Lotus were in Lotus' room, Lotus watching Youtube on her laptop while Alysa was on her bed doom scrolling. Lotus knew this was the right moment to confront Alysa about their relationship.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lotus questioned and turned her chair around to look at Alysa.

"Hm?" Alysa said, keeping her eyes drawn onto her phone not looking back at Lotus.

"Are we okay?" She said softly.

"What makes you think that?" Alysa looked up from her phone confused.

"I don't know...ever since the party on the last day of school you've been acting...distant towards me." She said,

Alysa met Lotus's gaze and felt her stomach tighten. She thought she understood why she'd been acting differently lately, but putting those feelings into words felt impossible. Instead, she pushed the thoughts aside and tried to act like nothing had changed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alysa scoffed and faced her eyes back to her phone.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." Lotus said with more fierceness.

“Alysa, I don’t know what’s going on in your life right now but clearly something has been going on for a while. And I really want you to tell me the truth.” Lotus said honestly.

Alysa tried her best to move the conversation somewhere else, letting out a quiet sigh as she locked her phone and tossed it beside her.

“Why are we even talking about this right now?” she muttered, rubbing her face tiredly. “Can’t we just have one normal day without making everything so serious?”

Lotus frowned slightly, hurt flashing across her face.

“I’m only bringing it up because I care about you,” she replied softly. “You barely talk to me anymore, Alysa. Every time I try to be around you, it feels like you’re already halfway out the door.”

Alysa stayed quiet.

The silence in the room suddenly felt heavy, almost unbearable. The faint sound of a YouTube video still played in the background, but neither of them were paying attention to it anymore.

Lotus slowly stood up from her chair.

“Did I do something?” she asked again, quieter this time. “Because if I did, you can tell me. I’d rather hear the truth than sit here wondering why the person I love suddenly feels so far away.”

That sentence made Alysa’s chest tighten.

She wanted to tell her everything. About seeing her ex again at the party. About the memories that came flooding back. About how scared she was of dragging Lotus into the mess in her head. But the words refused to come out.

Instead, Alysa shook her head quickly.

“No, it’s not you.”

“Then what is it?” Lotus asked.

Alysa looked down at her hands, avoiding eye contact.

“I just…” she paused, swallowing hard. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

Lotus stared at her, waiting patiently for her to continue, but Alysa only looked away again.

That silence told Lotus more than enough.

Her chest tightened.

“There’s someone else, isn’t there?” Lotus asked quietly.

Alysa’s eyes immediately flickered toward her.

That tiny reaction was all Lotus needed.

“Oh my god,” Lotus whispered, stepping back slightly. “There is.”

“It’s not like that,” Alysa said quickly, though her voice lacked confidence.

“Then what is it like?” Lotus shot back. “Because for the longest time you’ve barely touched me, barely talked to me, and now you can’t even look me in the eye.”

Alysa rubbed her hands over her face in frustration.

“It’s complicated.”

“No,” Lotus said sharply, tears already forming in her eyes. “You’re making it complicated.”

Alysa stayed quiet.

Lotus laughed bitterly to herself, shaking her head.

“Is it your ex?”

The room went completely still.

Alysa’s stomach dropped.

Lotus looked crushed.

“It is,” she said softly, almost like she couldn’t believe it herself.

Alysa looked down at the floor.

“I saw her again at the party,” she admitted quietly. “And ever since then I just… I don’t know.”

Lotus stared at her in disbelief.

“You don’t know?” she repeated. “Alysa, we’ve been seeing each other for months and you’re telling me you suddenly ‘don’t know’ because your ex walked back into your life?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Then explain it to me!” Lotus yelled, her voice breaking. “Because right now it sounds like you’ve been emotionally checking out of our relationship over someone who already hurt you before!”

Alysa flinched.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“But it did happen,” Lotus snapped. “And instead of being honest with me, you pushed me away and made me feel like I was going crazy.”

Alysa felt guilt clawing at her chest.

“I was trying to figure things out first.”

“While dragging me along?” Lotus asked. “Do you know how awful that feels?”

Alysa couldn’t answer.

Lotus wiped her tears angrily.

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” she asked quietly. “Or were you just gonna slowly stop loving me until I figured it out myself?”

“That’s not fair.”

“No, what’s not fair is me sitting here fighting for someone who’s in love with somebody else.”

Alysa’s expression hardened slightly. “I never said I was in love with her.”

“But you’re losing feelings for me,” Lotus fired back immediately. “You don’t have to say it out loud, Alysa. I can feel it.”

Silence again.

And this time, it hurt worse than anything Alysa could’ve said.

Lotus let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly to herself.

“Wow,” she whispered. “I really kept blaming myself this whole time.”

“Lotus...”

“No.” Lotus shook her head, backing away. “Don’t do that now.”

Alysa finally looked panicked.

“I still care about you.”

“But not enough,” Lotus replied, tears sliding down her face. “Not enough to choose me.”

Lotus looked at her one last time, heartbroken.

“I can’t stay in a relationship where I’m competing with your past.”

Alysa stepped forward desperately. “Please don’t do this.”

Lotus gave her a sad smile.

“You already did.”

And that was the moment Alysa realized she had waited too long to be honest.

Lotus grabbed her keys from the desk, her hands trembling slightly.

“I loved you so much, Alysa,” she whispered. “But I deserve someone who’s sure about me.”

Then she walked out of the room, leaving Alysa standing there alone with the consequences of everything she refused to admit.

June 10, 2026 1:47 p.m.

You wanted to stay productive over the summer and keep yourself busy, so you signed up for a photography program.

Today was the meeting for the next photography project, and while getting ready, you couldn’t shake the nervous feeling sitting in your chest. You didn’t know why, but you ignored it and headed out anyway.

When you arrived, you quietly took a seat and waited for the meeting to begin.

“Hello everyone, my name is David,” the instructor introduced himself once everyone settled down. “This meeting is about our upcoming project for the next few weeks.”

He clicked to the next slide on the screen before continuing.

“I’ll be going over the details of the event and selecting photographers who will be participating.”

You listened quietly, occasionally glancing around the room.

“We’ve been invited to photograph at the ice rink on Lumber Street. The event will focus on figure skating.”

The moment you heard figure skating, your stomach dropped.

Alysa.

Her name immediately filled your mind, and suddenly that nervous feeling from earlier started making sense. You hoped, desperately, that she had nothing to do with this event.

David continued speaking, explaining camera settings and techniques.

“I want slow shutter speed shots, low aperture settings, motion blur—”

But at that point, his words started fading into background noise. Your thoughts were somewhere else completely.

Then suddenly your name was called.

Your head snapped up instantly. “Hm?”

David looked at you from the front of the room.

“You were selected to shoot for the event, so make sure you remember everything I just said.”

You blinked in surprise before giving him a quick nod.

“Yeah. Got it.”

“Good,” he replied. “For everyone participating, meet at the rink tomorrow at 10 a.m. sharp.”

As soon as the meeting ended, people slowly began filing out of the room. You packed your things quietly before heading back to your car.

The second you shut the door behind you, you let out a long, heavy sigh.

You already had a feeling tomorrow was going to be complicated.

June 11, 2026 9:45 a.m.

You sat in your car in the parking lot of the ice rink, fingers lightly tapping against the steering wheel as you stared at the building ahead of you. The nerves from yesterday hadn’t gone away. If anything, they felt worse now that you were actually here.

You took a deep breath and grabbed your camera bag from the passenger seat.

“Just get through the day,” you muttered to yourself quietly.

The cold air immediately hit your face once you stepped out of the car. You adjusted the strap on your shoulder before making your way inside the rink.

The second you walked in, the familiar sounds surrounded you instantly.

Skates scraping against ice.

Music echoing through the speakers.

People talking over one another.

Photographers setting up equipment.

You spotted your team near the benches and walked over to them quietly. David noticed you approaching and gave you a quick nod before gathering everyone together.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here,” he began, clapping his hands together, “Today we’ll mainly be shooting the skaters during warm-ups, practice runs, and downtime.”

He gestured toward the rink behind him.

“I don’t just want basic sports shots. Make it cinematic. Make it feel personal. Capture emotion, movement, tension. Tell a story through your photos.”

"Until further notice, continue this until the actual event."

Everyone nodded before slowly splitting off around the rink.

You adjusted your camera settings and started walking along the glass, observing the skaters as they practiced. Some laughed together while stretching near the barriers, others focused quietly with headphones in. Every now and then, you’d lift your camera and snap a few shots.

A girl helping her friend tighten her skates.

A skater stretching out her leg on the wall of the rink.

Someone falling and immediately laughing afterward.

The photos came naturally after a while.

Until you looked toward the entrance.

And saw Alysa walking in.

Your breath caught in your throat for a second.

You froze without realizing it.

Alysa noticed you almost immediately.

For a second, her expression softened like she was just as shocked to see you here as you were to see her.

You kept yourself to stay calm, pretending your heart wasn’t suddenly pounding.

So instead, you gave her a small, polite smile.

“Hey,” she said quietly as she approached.

“Hi.”

There was an awkward pause between you two.

“You working here now?” Alysa asked, glancing down at the camera hanging from your neck.

You let out a small laugh. “Not really. It’s more of a side quest, honestly.”

That made Alysa smile a little.

“Cool… cool.”

The silence returned again, heavier this time.

It almost felt like both of you wanted to say more but didn’t know where to start anymore.

Alysa shifted awkwardly on her feet before nodding toward the rink.

“Anyways, I should probably go warm up,” she said softly. “But… I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah,” you replied quietly. “See you around.”

You watched her walk away toward the ice.

She pushed herself across the ice smoothly before falling into rhythm with the music playing overhead. Spins, turns, jumps, every movement looked graceful without even trying.

Watching her skate takes you back to the moments when you would watch her in awe when you both were in a relationship

You lifted your camera automatically.

Click.

Click.

Click.

But after a while, you realized you weren’t really taking photos anymore.

You were just watching her.

Watching the way she laughed with the other skaters.

Watching the way her hair moved every time she spun.

Watching the same girl you once planned your future around.

Your finger moved over the camera button as your chest tightened.

"Stop this, you’re here to work." you thought to yourself.

But no matter how hard you tried to focus on the assignment, your eyes kept finding their way back to Alysa.

June 15, 2026 10:38 a.m.

After many practice days against the figure skaters, it is finally the final performance to show the audience.

You were right outside of the ice rink where the other photographers were getting settled in for the show.

You were sitting at one of the bleachers trying to fix your settings and recheck how you were gonna position your camera, and looking further ahead to make sure you were getting everything established.

You needed to use the bathroom but wanted someone to watch your equipment so you walked up to your coworker,

"Hey Ashley, do you mind watching my stuff while I use the bathroom?"

"Yeah, of course girl." Ashley replied.

"Thank you so much, I will be right back."

You quickly walked into the staff bathroom and locked the door, as you finished your business you walked out of the bathroom and ran into someone.

Alysa again, but with her performing costume.

She was wearing her white flowy dress with her hair tied to the back of her head.

"Hi again," She said.

"Hi." You quickly replied with wide eyes.

After an awkward amount of time you wanted to get out of her sight, "Anyways I'm gonna go now." You quickly walk away.

"Wait-" Alysa stopped you.

You stopped walking.

"Sorry, I just.. I don't know why I stopped you."

You fully turned around to face Alysa and sighed, " I feel like you've been trying to talk to me for the past couple of days."

"I don't know what's going on with you but you seem kind of out of it." You continued.

Alysa stayed quiet because she knew that she was trying to get your attention but didn't know how to.

"It's just.. it's just really hard to cope right now"

"Are you okay Alysa-" You asked with worry.

"I broke up with Lotus." Alysa said so suddenly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." You saddened your face, while shifting your eyes down.

Alysa saw your face change, "We didn't break up because of my busy scheduling if that's what you're thinking of."

You looked up, confused. "Really? Then, why'd you end things with her?"

"Because of you.."

"Oh."

"But why..?" You continued.

"You both looked happy together.. Why am I the cause in this situation."

Alysa looked down at the floor.

For a moment, she couldn't find the words.

Because the truth sounded terrible out loud.

Because there wasn't a version of the story where she didn't hurt somebody.

"I don't know," she admitted quietly.

You frowned.

"No, Alysa. You do know."

Alysa felt her throat tighten.

"I tried to move on."

The words came out barely above a whisper.

"I really did."

You stayed silent, letting her continue.

"After the Olympics, after everything that happened between us, I thought finding someone else would make it easier."

She scoffed.

"It did, for a while."

You didn't move, but stared at her.

"But then I saw you again."

Alysa wiped her eyes quickly.

"And suddenly it felt like all the feelings I spent months trying to forget came back at once."

"I kept thinking of you, in every way possible. Your clothes, your scent, whenever I hear your favorite artist, all of it. It always leads back to you.

The hallway grew quiet.

"I hated myself for thinking like that," Alysa continued. "Because Lotus didn't deserve that."

You looked away.

"No. She didn't."

Alysa nodded.

"I know."

You didn't know how to process this but wanted to know more.

"So what are you telling me all of this for?" you asked softly.

Alysa's eyes met yours.

"Because I'm tired of pretending."

Your heart sank.

"Alysa..."

"I still love you."

The words hit harder than you expected.

You looked at her for several seconds, unable to respond.

Not because you didn't care.

But because part of you had spent months wishing to hear those exact words.

And now that they were finally being said, everything felt more complicated than before.

You let out a slow breath.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

Alysa's expression fell slightly.

"I know."

"You hurt Lotus."

"I know."

"You hurt yourself."

Alysa nodded.

"I know."

"And honestly?" You laughed quietly. "You hurt me too."

Alysa's started to swell with tears in them.

"I know."

"Alysa..." you started carefully. "I don't hate you."

She looked up hopefully.

"But I can't pretend everything's okay either."

The hope in her eyes softened.

Not disappearing.

Just becoming more realistic.

"I understand."

Alysa studied your face for a moment.

You were trying so hard to stay composed, keeping your arms crossed and your expression stayed still. But she knew you too well.

She noticed the way your eyes softened whenever you looked at her.

The way you never once told her to leave.

The way your voice kept losing its firmness whenever the conversation drifted toward the two of you.

Months ago, she would've missed those little things.

But not now.

Not after spending so much time wishing she could hear your voice again.

Alysa swallowed hard.

"You still care about me, don't you?" she asked quietly.

Your eyes widened slightly.

For a second, neither of you spoke.

Then you let out a small laugh and looked away.

"Alysa..."

It wasn't an answer.

But it wasn't a denial either.

Somehow, that was all she needed.

Alysa felt her chest tighten.

For the first time in months, she allowed herself to feel a tiny bit of hope.

You looked toward the arena where the crowd was beginning to gather.

The show was about to start.

"We should probably get back."

Alysa nodded slowly.

"Yeah."

Neither of you moved immediately.

Both of you standing there knowing the conversation wasn't finished.

Not even close.

But for the first time in months, it felt like maybe there was a conversation worth continuing.

Eventually, you gave her a small smile.

"Good luck out there."

Alysa smiled back through watery eyes.

"Thanks."

Then the two of you walked in opposite directions.

Not together.

But not completely apart anymore, either.

Few hours later

You were sitting alone in your dorm room, shined by the light of your computer screen.

Your camera sat beside you while hundreds of photos from the skating showcase loaded onto your editing app.

You heavily sighed.

"Let's get this over with."

One by one, you began sorting through the images.

Photos of skaters laughing.

Photos of coaches cheering.

Photos of children meeting athletes after the show.

Everything David had asked for.

Storytelling.

Emotion.

Life.

You flagged your favorites and continued working.

Until you came across Alysa's performance.

Your hand froze on the mouse.

The image showed her standing at the edge of the rink before her performance.

Everyone else in the background was blurred.

But Alysa was perfectly in focus.

She wasn't smiling.

She wasn't performing.

She wasn't even looking at the camera.

She was looking off to the side.

Looking at someone.

Looking at you.

You stared at the photo for a long time.

Then another appeared.

And another.

And another.

Every few photos, there she was.

Looking toward where you had been standing.

Looking for you.

Your chest tightened.

You clicked through the rest.

Alysa during warmups.

Alysa after landing a jump.

Alysa laughing with teammates.

Alysa celebrating after her routine.

And somehow, in nearly every image, her eyes always seemed to drift back toward your side of the rink.

You leaned back in your chair.

Suddenly, you started to look back on what Alysa had said earlier back.

"I still love you."

Then another.

"I'm tired of pretending."

Then another.

"It's always been you."

You placed your palms onto your face.

For weeks, you'd been telling yourself it was too complicated.

That too much had happened.

That moving on was easier.

But looking at the photos now...

You realized something.

You weren't moving on.

You were standing still.

Waiting.

The same way she was.

Your eyes landed on one final photograph.

It was blurry.

Technically imperfect.

You would've deleted it under normal circumstances.

But you couldn't.

Because it captured the exact moment after your conversation in the hallway.

Alysa was walking away toward the rink.

Yet she'd turned around one last time.

Looking back.

Looking at you.

The same way you had looked back at her.

Your heart dropped.

"Oh my god."

You stood up so fast your chair rolled backwards.

There was no way you were about to spend another year wondering what could've happened.

You grabbed your hoodie and keys.

Then you walked very quickly.

That fast walking pace turned into sprinting.

By the time you reached Alysa's building, you were completely out of breath.

You rushed up the stairs and stopped outside her dorm room.

For a second, panic hit.

What if she wasn't there?

What if she didn't want you back?

What if—

You knocked.

Nothing.

Then again.

A few seconds later, the door slowly opened.

Alysa stood there wearing an oversized hoodie and sweatpants.

The second she saw you standing outside her door, completely out of breath, her eyes widened.

"What happened?" she asked immediately.

You tried to answer, but you were out of breath from running.

"I..." you laughed breathlessly. "I had this whole thing planned to say."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Then go for it."

You looked at her.

For a moment, all the words you had rehearsed in your head disappeared.

You took a deep breath.

"When we broke up, I kept telling myself it was the right thing to do."

Alysa's smile faded.

She listened carefully.

"I told myself we were too busy. That we didn't have enough time for each other. That eventually we'd move on and be happier."

Your voice softened.

"And maybe part of that was true."

Alysa felt tears forming in her eyes.

"But after all this time, after everything that's happened..." you laughed weakly. "I don't think I've moved on at all."

She looked down.

"Neither have I."

Silence settled between you.

"Honestly, I think a part of me knew that long before tonight."

Alysa looked up.

"What do you mean?"

You let out a shaky breath.

"The party."

Alysa immediately froze.

"When I saw you with Lotus."

Her heart dropped.

"I acted like I was fine."

You scoffed.

"Then I went and got drunk."

Alysa's eyes widened.

"I barely remember any of it, but Sage told me everything the next morning."

Your gaze fell to the floor.

"Apparently I was crying on the bathroom floor because I saw you with someone else."

Alysa felt her chest tighten painfully.

"You did that because of me?"

You smiled sadly.

"Yeah."

Tears immediately began rolling down her face.

"I kept telling everyone I was over you."

You shook your head.

"But if I was really over you, seeing you happy with somebody else wouldn't have destroyed me like that."

Silence settled between you.

"I also saw it in the photos from tonight."

Alysa looked confused.

"The photos?"

"Every single picture I took of you."

You smiled sadly.

"You were skating, talking to people, celebrating with your teammates... but somehow I kept catching you looking for me."

Alysa immediately felt her face heat up.

"I wasn't,"

"You were."

She went quiet.

Because she knew you were right.

You stepped a little closer.

"And then I realized something."

Your voice shook slightly.

"For months, I've been acting like loving you was some mistake I needed to get over."

Alysa's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"But it wasn't."

You swallowed hard.

"The mistakes were the things we did after."

"The way we stopped talking."

"The way we convinced ourselves that walking away was easier than trying."

Alysa looked at you blank with tears rolling down her face.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what would've happened if we had just been honest with each other."

Your eyes never left hers.

"Because no matter how hard I tried, nobody ever replaced you."

Alysa covered her mouth.

"Nobody made me laugh like you."

"Nobody understood me the way you did."

"And nobody has ever felt like home the way you do."

The tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over.

You shook your head slightly.

"I'm not standing here because I think we're perfect."

"We're not."

"We hurt each other."

"We've both made mistakes."

"But if there's even a small chance that we can do this right this time..."

You reached for her hand.

"I just want to say that I want to try again. We can start over. We don't have to be the same people we were before. We can take things slow and—"

Alysa let out a broken sob.

Before you could finish your sentence, she grabbed the back of your head and pulled you toward her.

She kissed you.

Instantly.

Like she was tired of talking.

Like she was tired of spending months apart.

Like she never wanted to hear another goodbye from you again.

The rest of your words disappeared against her lips.

For a moment, neither of you moved.

Then you kissed her back.

And suddenly every sleepless night, every missed opportunity, every ounce of heartbreak you'd both carried for months didn't seem nearly as heavy anymore.

Alysa pulled away just enough to rest her forehead against yours.

Tears were still running down her cheeks, but she was smiling now.

"You talk too much," she laughed through her tears.

You couldn't help but laugh too.

"I was trying to be romantic."

"You were taking too long."

Before you could defend yourself, Alysa kissed you again.

This time softer.

This time certain.

And as your arms wrapped around each other, neither of you had any intention of letting go.

May 18, 2026 8:39 p.m.

You were waiting back at the hotel room watching television. You didn't know what exactly you were watching but you were entertained, after some time you were looking at the time noticing your girlfriend, Alysa, was supposed to be back by 8:15.

You didn't think anything of it due to the paparazzi can be out of control on some occasions. You went on your phone to doom scroll until you get a text message from your girlfriend.

lys | 8:43 p.m

Babe..

I'm kinda stuck in the elevator at the moment.

You read the text stunned, and chuckled. Of course someone like Alysa would be stuck but at the same time you were worried. You texted back Alysa,

"Oh my god, are you okay?!"

Read 8:44 p.m.

She didn't respond to you, making you worry a lot until she facetimed you.

You answered right away with your face covering your mouth, when the call connected you see Alysa with her hair up, somewhat red and sweaty. She was smiling at you.

"Hey....so this is the gang right now." Alysa said awkwardly as she holds her phone above her showing everyone in the elevator.

"Oh my gosh..." you responded, you see everyone overwhelmed from the heat building up in that small elevator. You saw that everyone was crammed up, some people sitting on the floor, some leaning against the wall. Even the elevator mirror getting foggy.

"Everyone, say hi to my girlfriend." Alysa announced to everyone.

"Hi Alysa's girlfriend..." Everyone said at the same time, tired.

"Are you guys okay?" You laughed.

"Yes, we're okay. Just really hot and I'm on the verge of passing out." Alysa replied.

"Do you guys want me to come over? I'll come right now with water and portable fans that the hotel provided." You offered.

"Actually, that would be amazing." Isabeau said in the background.

"Okay, be right back. I'll grab them right now."

As you were about to hang out, Alysa cut you off from ending the call, "Wait, can you stay on call? I wanna see your pretty face." Alysa smirked.

You gave her a disgusted look as sarcasm, "Ew, enough you're stuck in the elevator with 7 other people."

"But okay, I'll stay on call." You agreed.

"Thank you." Alysa said gratefully.

You were heading to the the table grabbing portable fans that the hotel provided for you and Alysa to use. You were confused at first why they offered that, but thank God they did.

You shoved them in your tote bag and headed downstairs to get some cold waters from the vending machines.

You headed outside the hotel to catch a taxi, you entered inside telling the driver where to go. You looked at your phone again to see what state Alysa was in, she looked very exhausted. She noticed you looking at her.

"Babe, if Idie. Just know that I love you." Alysa said sadly.

"Okay, don't say that. You're not gonna die from being stuck in a elevator." You argued.

"Ok fine, but if I do." Alysa said with her eyes wide open.

"Let's stop talking about death and get you out of there."

You were stopped at your destination, you rushed inside to the elevator.

"Okay, i'm waiting outside. Is there anyone trying to you guys out of there?" You questioned.

"Yeah, Evan. He's actually watching us over the camera trying to get help." Amber replied from the background.

"Okay, that's good. I'm gonna stay here waiting for you guys."

Alysa brings her phone to her phone, "Please help."

You chuckled, "You will get out, don"t worry."

9:05 p.m.

It's been around 20 minutes and you were still waiting for them. You watched Alysa's energy slowly going down, you started to worry because it's been way too long.

Waiting on the couch you see Evan and a few other people with him speed walking to the elevators.

You quickly stood up, "Hey, Evan are you here for them?"

Evan turned around, "Yeah, these guys are gonna get them out. Don't worry just give them time."

Alysa heard you and Evan's conversation, "WE"RE GETTING OUT?" She yelped quietly.

You looked back down your phone, "Yeah, I'm assuming so."

"YES" she said feeling relieved.

"We're getting out guys," Alysa said to everyone.

Many tiredly cheered in the elevator.

You stood by Evan watching the men trying to get them out. After some time the door opens, as it opens you see 7 tired people mood changed into relief.

They all come out of the elevator one by one with relief of the air conditioning being blown into their bodies, you were looking for Alysa as she was the last one coming out.

Her eyes widened with excitement and ran to you and picked you up to hug you. She spinned you around, kissing your check.

As she brings you down to the ground you felt sticky from her sweat, "Ew, you're sweaty. But i'm glad you're okay."

Alysa looks at you smiling and you guide her to walk where everyone was resting at.

"Is everyone okay?" Evan asked everyone.

"Yeah," Alysa laughed.

"We're so sorry," One of the men said to everyone.

"No, no it's not your fault." James said gracefully.

"Oh! Here are your waters and fans." You reached in your bag to individually bring them a cold water and fan for them to cool off with.

"Thank you so much," They all said.

"You're very welcome." You said smiling to them.

Lastly, you walked up to Alysa to hand her a fan and water. She looked at you smiling drinking her water, “Thank you,” she said while kissing your cheek.

You grabbed a napkin that was in your bag to wipe off the sweat off her face, “Much better,” you giggled to her.