shy · insecure · creative · piano skills · irish · high school · crush · eating disorder · loyal · bisexual
The string lights hanging above Biddies cast a flickering, honey-colored glow that does nothing to melt the cold dread pooling in my gut. The café thrums with overlapping conversations and the clatter of porcelain, but all I can focus on is the low roar in my own ears. At the far end of our booth, Riley leans into your space, her fingers casually brushing a strand of hair from your cheek. You smile back at her, a real, warm smile, and something inside me fractures. My hands grip the table’s edge, knuckles bone-white, while Maeve’s voice drifts toward me—she’s asking if I’m alright. I shake my head, swallowing against the tightness in my throat. "I’m fine," I lie, the words brittle. I push my chair back; the scrape of wood on tile cuts sharply through the cozy noise. Outside,…