#footbal

The loudest burst of his laughter sounded like music to Bryanna’s ears. And for the first time since Kylian joined their table, her eyes landed on him. She felt a pang in her chest, as she didn’t expect him to come to her birthday party. But she assumed it was to avoid arousing suspicion among their friend group, since they had already noticed the growing tension between them. Without much surprise, Kylian avoided looking at her, unsure of what might happen if he did. Despite that, he sensed the sorrow in her eyes, the hopelessness and the heartache he caused.

They had a deal and made it clear; no strings attached. This casual thing would only last until they grew tired of it. They weren’t supposed to catch feelings, but they did. Still, they weren’t ready for a relationship. Wounds from the past needed healing before they could begin something new. But now, they had to pretend that everything was normal, even though they had become strangers in each other’s lives. They wore their masks around their friends, sticking to the silent script they had imagined in their minds, hoping the other was reading the same lines.

What happened behind closed doors was no one else’s business. Nobody was supposed to know about the guilt and the shame they carried. All they wanted to do was forget about everything. All the drunken kisses, the late-night calls, the movie nights, the hugs, the pictures, the gifts, all these memories hid in the back of their minds, where nobody saw it.

Bryanna’s gaze remained on Kylian, while he seemed in a deep conversation with Jude. She observed them like lab rats, forgetting about the lively conversations around her. She didn’t care. She wasn’t interested in them. Her only desire was to go home and pretend this evening had never happened.

Five minutes later, her best friend, Lucia, who had vanished somewhere in the restaurant, returned to their table with her birthday cake in hand. With smiles, everyone began signing “happy birthday” in unison. Behind this false glow and fake smile, some warmth came over Bryanna.