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I don’t find it funny. At all.

Instead, I feel my blood boiling, my fingers tightening on the door handle. I turn to him sharply, unable to hold it in anymore. “It’s inappropriate to make jokes like that, Ryan,” I snap, my voice biting and cold.

Ryan immediately shuts his mouth. I feel guilty, and I know I overreacted, but I don’t apologize. When we finally reach my house, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. The evening’s been long, and I’m beyond exhausted. I thank Ryan, forcing a polite smile as I reach for the door handle.

“Hold on, Mia,” Ryan says, his voice cutting through the air, stopping me just before I can leave.

I pause, turning back to face him. “Yes?”

Ryan’s gaze is steady, but there’s something in his eyes, something knowing. “What exactly is the deal between you and Jack?” he asks, his tone sharp and probing.

My stomach tightens. I open my mouth, unsure of how to respond, but Ryan continues before I can answer. “I saw the way you were when Jack left the table with Mirta earlier. You lost interest in the date right away. I’m not stupid, Mia. I know something happened between you two when we went to watch the fireworks. Something has been happening between you two even before this date.” He leans back in his seat, watching me intently. “Anyone would think you had feelings for him.”

I don’t know what comes over me, but before I can stop myself, the words spill out.

“Yes, I do. I have feelings for him.”

Ryan doesn’t speak. He doesn’t move. It’s like the world around us has paused. I can feel the tension thickening between us, but all I can hear is the sound of my own heart thudding in my chest. I wait for Ryan to say something, but the words seem to be trapped in his throat.

Finally, he shifts, breaking the silence. “Wow,” he mutters under his breath, almost like he’s trying to process it, but it’s not directed at me. It’s like he’s speaking to himself.

The weight of my confession sits between us, and I don’t know what to do with it. I can feel the sting of regret beginning to creep in, but I don’t take it back. Jack’s presence—his kiss—has been haunting me, and it feels like it’s all been building up to this moment.

“You should know your feelings will lead nowhere, Mia.” Ryan’s words cut through me, sharper than I expect. His voice is low, and there’s a bitterness to it that catches me off guard.

“Jack could never like you. He’s a narcissist who only cares about himself. He’s a playboy, and no matter how much you try to find him a woman, it’ll backfire. A leopard can never change its spots.”

A knot tightens in my chest, my breath quickening in response to his harsh words.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re judging him, Ryan. And it’s beneath you. You don’t know him.”

Ryan shakes his head, his expression hard. “But it’s true! I know it is. You’re just fooling yourself, Mia. He doesn’t care about you, and you’re just wasting your time. He’ll never change.”

I bite my lip, trying to hold back the sting of his words, but they hit a nerve. He’s right in some ways—Jack is complicated, far more than I can understand. But my feelings for him, however irrational, are real. I can’t help them. I can’t change them.

“I’m not a fool,” I say, my voice quiet but firm. “I know he can’t love me. I know this is just a PR stunt, and he probably isn’t going to change. But that doesn’t stop my feelings.”

Ryan’s face contorts with frustration. He buries his head in his hands, like the weight of my words is too much to bear. “Why don’t you give us a chance, Mia?” His voice cracks with emotion. “I’m real. Jack is not. You deserve someone who’s there for you, who actually loves you.”

I snap. The anger I’ve been holding back all evening—maybe all these years—erupts like a dam breaking.

“You left me!” I shout at him, my voice trembling with the hurt I’ve carried for so long. “I wassoin love with you. You were my first love, but you left me and hurt me. You made me beg for your love because you were too cowardly to tell me you stopped loving me a long time ago!”

The words feel like they’ve been trapped inside me, waiting to escape. I can see the shock on Ryan’s face as I unleash everything I’ve kept buried for years. He doesn’t speak; he just stares, frozen by my outburst.

I try to steady my breath, my heart pounding in my chest, but the anger and the hurt won’t let me go. “You have no idea how much you broke me,” I add quietly, my voice wavering.

Ryan doesn’t know how to respond, and I don’t know if I want him to. I don’t need him to explain. I don’t need him at all.

Before he can say anything, I pull open the door and step out of the car. “Please leave,” I say, my voice hard but broken. “I don’t want to see you again.”

I don’t wait for a response. I turn on my heel and hurry into the house, my legs unsteady. I slam the door behind me, locking it before I sink to the floor.

I stumble into my room and collapse onto my bed, my emotions crashing down on me in waves. The tears come fast, too fast to control, and I sob into the pillow, my chest heaving.

I feel so lost, so broken. My heart aches for the love I gave to Ryan, for the love I have for Jack, and how hopeless it all is. My phone buzzes in my bag, and through the glassy gaze of tears, I find the phone. It’s my mom. I wipe my tears quickly, trying to regain some sense of composure, but my chest is still tight.I don’t have the energy to talk, but I know her. She won’t stop calling until I answer.

“Mom, I just got home. I’ll call you back,” I say, keeping my voice steady, before hanging up.