"He Chose Her... Then Came Back to Me"

o prove. Conversations overlapped, laughter came too quickly, too easily. It felt forced. Like everyone here had agreed to pretend they were havin

. She only came because Iris insisted. "Ten minutes," Aria had said earlier.

xhaled

er phone. No

h, where

past the Restroom, weaving through people who didn't notice he

meone?" She tur

other holding a drink. He looked relaxed, like

said. "Have y

allway. "I think she went t

. Tha

he felt it that pause, that slight

lway

oo long," he

spond. She jus

, the more the noise faded, replaced by something else stillness, almost. "Iris?" she call

t be doing this," Liam said.

Iris spoke. Her voice was

are you st

de Aria's chest tighten. She

another.And the

resting at Iris's waist. Not awkwardly. Not like

slowed, but s

, his head tilting just enough and the

n. Iris kis

like it was a mistake. Like i

ere, her mind

something inside her to rea

was just..

irst, his hand sti

't right,

didn't answer, He didn't move away either. Aria shifted her weight,

is's face changed insta

eared. At Iris's shoulders, tense in a way she had never seen before. At Liam,

ng?" Ar

was calm

t's not what it looks like," Do

the question

rward slightly.

. "You don't get to ex

gh to tell he

ly, more to keep her hands

understand somet

of the

efly at Iris, t

u chose..."Her vo

ou kept until yo

ed down i

aid no

ust long enough to sett

ded once

ease-" Iri

ned back

rather you tol

It didn't accuse. It d

r mouth, but n

ould say that would fix

wait for a

walked back d

the quiet behind her. By the time she reached t

was normal.She

cooler. Qu

breathing in slowly, letting

nto her bag and pu

at the top of her mess

s. The small, meaningless thin

ed over the scr

leted the e

on.No secon

s didn't n

t needed