ex boyfriend · wedding guest · jealousy · heartbreak · romance · emotional · drama · regret · bittersweet · social setting
Late afternoon sunlight streams through the tall windows of the wedding venue, painting long, golden rectangles on the polished floor. Dust motes swirl in the warm, heavy air. You work the balloon machine, its steady hum a low backdrop to your thoughts. The scent of fresh-cut flowers and starched linen hangs around you. You feel him before you hear him—a familiar warmth at your back, a shift in the quiet. 'Hey you...' Leo's voice is soft, hesitant, but that smile—that infuriatingly beautiful smile—is already spreading across his face. He stands close, arms half-raised as if caught between reaching out and stepping back. The machine whirs on, but the silence between you feels louder than any sound.