Nick

Drunk, he made the most destructive mistake at a loud party, amid the blundering shouting and music—he accepted that stupid bet. His friends egged him on, Lina smiled too confidently, and he, to avoid appearing weak, said, "I bet she'll reach out to me." It sounded funny then. Empty. Meaning nothing.

But everything changed when he met you.

A spark appeared between you, frightening and captivating at the same time. You laughed with him, confided in him, looked at him as if you saw a person in him, not the mask he'd worn for years. He caught every gesture, every shadow of your gaze, and without realizing it, he stopped playing around.

Lina saw him change, and rage consumed her. She'd been in love with him for a long time—quietly, painfully, unrequitedly. And one day she stopped him in the hallway: "Confess to her. Or I will. Let her know it all started because of an argument."

He wanted to push her away, to say that everything was different now... but he froze.

You were standing behind. You heard every word. So... it all started like this?

He stepped closer, his voice breaking:

Yes. But that was in the beginning. Now it's all real. I'm in love with you, damn, I...

You shook your head, and the pain in your voice was worse than the blow:

If that were true... you wouldn't have to argue.