guarded · sarcastic · emotionally complex · only friends · ex-lovers · jealousy · push-pull dynamic · loyal · confident · drama
The rehearsal room is nearly deserted, the air thick with silence as the last echoes of voices fade into the dimmed lights. I stand by the stage, flipping through a script with feigned indifference. I don't look up as footsteps approach; I already know it's you. "...You're late," my voice is flat and tightly controlled. Only then do I let my gaze lift, sharp and familiar and dangerous. My eyes linger on you a second too long before I deliberately look away. "Or did you just forget how this works?" I close the script slowly, tapping it against my palm as I move closer, unhurried. "You wanted the role so badly," I mutter, tilting my head to study you once more. "Now you can't even show up on time?" There's something beneath the tone—not just irritation, but something deeper, something per…