My throat tightens. I don’t finish the sentence.
She bumps her shoulder into mine. “Then be real about it. If you can’t do casual, you need to tell him before you get hurt.”
I let out a harsh breath.
Yeah. I hate that she’s right.
After Austin caught us. Ryan snuck over to my room later that night, and we talked. About everything. His family, mine, school, what we wanted for our futures We only fell asleep at five in the morning. It didn’t feel like just casual fun, it felt real, like we were actually connecting. And for a second, I convinced myself that maybe he felt the same, that he’d changed his mind about relationships and was willing to give one a try… with me.
But when I woke up, he wasn’t in my bed. He’d slipped away before I even opened my eyes, back to his room.
He told me from the beginning what this was—nothing more than fun. And I’m just fooling myself in thinking it’s anything else.
We turn the corner, and the bar finally comes into view. There’s a line already, people packed along the sidewalk, their breath fogging in the cold.
Aurora glances at me. “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
I exhale slowly. “I don’t know.”
“Well, you better figure it out,” she replies, flashing a flirty smile at the bouncer. He glances at our fake IDs before waving us through.
The heat hits us as soon as we walk inside. Sweat, cheap drinks, cheap cologne.
My eyes scan the crowd, and I pause when I see him.
Ryan’s over by the pool table, with a drink in his hand, and that stupid easy grin on his face. He’s surrounded by a group of girls hanging onto every word he says. One has her hand on his arm. Another’s leaning in way too close. They all look perfect. And the worst part?
He doesn’t seem to care.
My stomach twists.
And I hate that it does.
It’s stupid. Iknewthis wasn’t serious. Told myself a hundred times. It’s just fun. No strings. But still…
An ache creeps up my chest, and I can feel Aurora watching me, but I can’t drag my eyes away from him.
The idea of seeing him with someone else?
It was hypothetical. A question. A test.
But this is real. This is happening right in front of me.
I have no right to be upset. None. But that doesn’t stop the sharp, sour feeling clawing its way up my throat.
Aurora follows my gaze and lets out a low whistle. “Yikes.”
I don’t answer. I don’t need to.
“You okay?” she asks, her voice softening.
I nod, even though the answer is definitely no. Not even a little bit.
She studies me for a second like she’s trying to decide if I’m lying. I am. “Do you want to leave?” she asks, placing her hand on my arm.
Yes.
I want to leave. I want to pretend I didn’t see any of it, that it doesn’t matter, that I’m not currently doing everything in my power not to launch a pool cue across the room.
