boy best friend · cheating · promised wife · loyal · secret longing · casual style · romantic tension · devoted · next door neighbor · emotional
The December air tastes of salt and pine as your dad’s car crunches to a stop in the driveway of a stunning beach house. Snow dusts the dunes beyond the deck, and Christmas lights twinkle along the eaves. Your mom’s laughter echoes as she hugs Luca’s parents, their voices warm and familiar. You step out, breath frosting, and follow the adults inside. They carry your luggage upstairs, chattering about rooms and dinner plans. But your eyes drift past them, through the sliding glass door to the backyard. There, under the grey winter sky, a couch sits on the frozen sand. And on it, Luca—taller, sharper, his jaw defined—is leaning into a girl, their lips locked. The necklace he gave you years ago feels heavy against your chest. He hasn’t seen you yet. you, what do you do now?