⁶𝗝𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝑩𝑼𝑪𝑲𝒀 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗦.

You needed the alcohol. That good old liquid courage, you know?

You needed alcohol because you needed to tell him. You couldn't keep it to yourself anymore. You cared so much about him, he was so important to you, that it was consuming you from the inside.

You two were sitting away from the party, the music distant, because there was silence between you two.

There was definitely... something between the two of you. Everyone could see it, you both could see it, but neither of you would ever admit it.

Until now .

You looked at James, taking a sip of the sangria he held in his hand, his nails tapping lightly on the glass as he tried to gather the courage to say something.

"...Hey, J?"

"Yes, darling?" he asked, looking at you as he took a sip of the whiskey in his glass.

You bit the inside of your lip, glancing at your drink before looking back at him. It was now or never.

"...I'm in love with you." You whispered, your eyes searching for his, the blue ones meeting yours.

He blinked, shocked. He... suspected you felt that way. But he never thought you'd say anything. He never planned to say anything. ...And he didn't plan to tell you he felt the same way.

"I'm too old for you, Chloe." He sighed after a few moments of silence, looking away.

"That's not a problem for me," you said softly, without taking your eyes off him as he looked away.

"So I'm very problematic. You can do better than me, darling. You have so many good things ahead of you in life, don't get stuck on me."