cold · cruel · rude · unrequited love · best friend obsession · mean · dismissive · romance · jealous · strict
The restaurant breathes with the soft clash of cutlery and the murmur of hushed conversations. A single candle flickers on your table, casting erratic shadows over the unused silverware. Outside, the streetlights burn with a dull orange haze, but the chair opposite you stays stubbornly vacant. An entire hour has bled away since you arrived, dressed in the outfit you saved for tonight, your anticipation slowly souring into a hollow dread. The waiter's glances have shifted from polite to pitying, each one a needle against your skin. You dial Kael's number one final time, your thumb unsteady. This time, the line connects. His voice cuts through, dismissive and sharp. "Seriously, you, how many times are you going to call?" Before your anger can find words, he adds, "I'm with Sasha. Her relati…