SONIA
I sat on my bed, the room dim except for the amber glow of the lamp by my dresser. In front of me, arranged like trophies I wasn't sure I deserved, were the gift boxes—Chanel, Hermès, Dior. The rose lay beside them now, its petals beginning to curl, still beautiful, still accusing.
I stared at them for a long time.
Tracy's gifts.
No—my gifts now.
The thought made my chest tighten.
I leaned back against the headboard and let my mind wander to the moment Eli pushed the boxes into my hands. The way he hadn't hesitated. The way it almost felt... right. As if he had chosen correctly. As if fate had shifted its weight toward me.
Jealousy had been the spark. I knew that. Watching Tracy have everything—Fred, Eli, attention coming at her from all sides—while I held onto a man who lied with ease and cheated without remorse. Two men circling Tracy, wanting her desperately, and me... barely clinging to one who didn't even respect me.
The unfairness of it burned.
If I were with Eli, I thought, my fingers brushing the edge of a Dior box, none of this would feel so small.
I imagined it—Eli's attention, his presence, the way he looked at me this afternoon. Strong. Intent. Wanting. Why should Tracy have him when she didn't even seem to care anymore?
My thoughts darkened.
What if Tracy found out?
Found out that I had ratted her out. That I had nudged Eli straight into heartbreak. That I was now thinking—no, planning—to take him for myself.
A wave of guilt rose, sharp and unwelcome.
But what is Tracy doing with two men anyway? My mind shot back defensively.
Not your business, another voice replied.
I exhaled slowly. Guilt sat heavy in my chest, but it didn't stop the pull. I didn't know how to quiet the storm inside me—envy, longing, resentment—all tangled together.
My eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.
It's Late.
Too late to show up at Tracy's date. Too late to pretend I was just checking in like a good friend. I picked up my phone, stared at the screen, hesitated... then typed.
I hope you're having fun with your long-lost lover?
I sent it before i could overthink it.
Minutes later, I was grabbing my keys, the gift boxes left behind like silent witnesses. I drove fast, jaw clenched, heart pounding, straight to Kelvin's place.
And there—confirmation.
The door wasn't even locked.
The sounds hit me first. Laughter. Breathless moans. Careless. Loud. As if the world didn't exist beyond that room.
I stood frozen for half a second, then saw them—Kelvin tangled with Amaka, shameless, exposed, not even startled by the possibility of being caught.
Something inside me snapped clean in two.
Kelvin turned just as I stepped back, already moving away, rage and humiliation surging through my veins.
"Fuck you!" I screamed, voice shaking but fierce. "I knew you would never change. Fuck you, Kelvin—for tricking me again!"
I didn't wait for excuses. Didn't wait for apologies I'd heard before. I was already gone, slamming the door behind me, tears blurring the road as I drove.
I didn't think.
I just drove.
Straight to Eli's.
It was my first time there.
The house was quiet, elegant, expensive—lights low, music humming faintly beneath the night. When I rang the bell, my heart thundered louder than the sound.
The door opened.
Eli stood there, shirtless, glass in hand, the scent of smoke and whiskey lingering around him. His face was drawn, eyes heavy with hurt, but somehow that only made him more magnetic. Vulnerable. Real. Dangerous.
Devastation suited him.
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
Then he smirked—slow, knowing—and slid the door open wider, pulling me inside before I could say a word.
We didn't need explanations.
Pain recognized pain.
His hands found my waist. Mine pressed into his chest. The kiss was urgent, loaded, months of restraint and jealousy and betrayal collapsing into one charged moment. Eli didn't mention Tracy. Didn't mention the picture, the lies, the questions waiting to be asked.
All he cared about was now.
I melted into him, heart racing, guilt buzzing faintly somewhere far in the back of my mind—but not loud enough to stop me.
Eli's lips never really left mine as he guided me deeper into the house. The door clicked shut behind us, sealing off the night, the mess, the names we weren't saying. Music played softly somewhere, low and slow, the kind that blurred time. The scent of whiskey and smoke clung to him, warm and reckless.
We reached the couch almost without realizing it.
Eli sank down first, pulling me with him, his hands steady despite the haze in his eyes. He was drunk, high, hurting—but when he looked at me, there was clarity there too. Want. Need. The kind that didn't ask questions.
"You're here," he murmured, more to himself than to me, forehead resting against mine.
I didn't answer. I kissed him again instead, slower this time, deeper. I let myself feel it—the strength in his arms, the way his chest rose beneath my palms, the way the world seemed to narrow until it was just the two of us on that couch.
My guilt tried to whisper.
I silenced it.
Eli's hands traced my back, pulling me closer, as if he was afraid I might disappear if he loosened his grip. He laughed softly at nothing, breath warm against my neck, then kissed me there, lingering, unguarded.
"You feel... real," he said, voice low, rough around the edges.
I closed my eyes, giving in fully now. I gave him my attention, my warmth, my softness—everything I'd been holding back for too long. I let herself be gentle with him even as the moment burned hot, let myself be bold when his hands tightened, when his breath caught.
We moved together on the couch, unhurried yet hungry, bodies speaking where words would only complicate things. Outside, the night went on as usual. Inside, time slipped loose and meaningless.
Eli rested his forehead against mine again, breathing hard, eyes closed, as if the pain had quieted for once.
I stayed there, tangled with him, choosing not to think about tomorrow. About shame. About consequences.
The world narrowed to heat, breath, and the unspoken truth between us.
Whatever lines had existed before were already gone.
And neither of us tried to bring them back.