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The door slammed against the wall with so much force the frame rattled.
"Where the hell is sh—"
The guy froze mid-sentence, eyes locking onto us like we were ghosts he wasn't expecting to see. He looked wild — breathless, flushed, chest rising and falling like he'd sprinted up ten flights of stairs.
Relief washed over his face. "Thank God… it's just you guys."
He braced his hands on his knees and bent forward, trying to steady himself.
In that instant, I understood something I had only heard from Sandy:
He cared. Deeply. Desperately.
Derek stared at him. "Mike? Dude… are you okay?"
Mike lifted his head, breath vibrating out of him. "I am now."
"What happened? And why are you even here?" Derek asked, stepping closer, tension thick in the air.
Mike pushed his fingers through his hair, voice shaky.
"I got off work late. Thought I'd surprise Sandy at the party…"
He swallowed hard, eyes dark.
"And when I got here, some guy stopped me in the hallway. He said my girl was drunk out of her mind. Said two people dragged her into this apartment against her will."
His voice cracked on that last part.
My stomach tightened. Hearing it out loud — the fear, the possibility — made the whole thing real in a way it wasn't before. How it must have seemed dragging her in against her will.
He collapsed onto the couch as if his legs finally gave up.
"Jesus…" Derek muttered his eyes on Mike then me.
Mike shook his head, voice rough. "I thought something happened to her. I thought I was too late."
I had no words — because if it hadn't been us...
"Can I… just have some water?" Mike asked quietly.
"Yeah." I said trying to hind the guilt that washed over me. I grabbed him a glass of water.
When I handed it to him,he downed half of it in one swallow, throat working as he swallowed most of it in one go. Knuckles white around the cup. A breath of relief escaped him.
"Sorry," he said, exhaling. "I probably look insane barging in here like that."
"No" I whispered "Just in love."
He gave a small, breathless laugh — a fragile attempt at normal. But the panic still clung to his eyes, refusing to leave.
"It's nice to finally meet you," I said softly. Sandy had shown me his picture more than I could count.
"So you know who I am then?" he smiled — dimples showing — and suddenly I understood exactly why Sandy fell for him. The worry, the relief, the way he didn't even try to hide how much she meant to him.
"You know Sandy," I said. "She talks."
He leaned back, the tension slowly draining from his shoulders.
Derek shifted by the door. "I'll, uh… take off."
"We'll talk later," Mike told him.
"Bye," I added.
I barely sat down when—
THUD.
"Ow!"
The cry came from outside the door — surprised, offended, dramatic.
I hurried over and pulled it open.
"Brandon?" I blinked at him.
He was on the floor, hand on his shoulder,face twisted in both pain and annoyance. His lips pushed out in a pitiful pout.
"Oh. Hi," he said, forcing a smile.
"What happened?"
"This idiot bumped into me," he pointed dramatically at Derek.
"I am not an idiot! You walked into me," Derek fired back.
Mike stood, still visibly on edge. "What's going on now?"
"He bumped into me," Derek snapped.
Mike blinked. "Brandon?" Do they know each other?
Brandon's head jerked up. "Mike?" Unbecoming of his usual dramatic self — his face split into the biggest smile, and he shot to his feet. In two seconds flat, he threw himself into Mike's arms, clinging like he didn't want to ever let go.
"I didn't know you were here," Brandon whispered into his shirt. So Brandon is always like this with everyone.
"I just got here." Mike ruffled his hair.
"I didn't know you were here!" Brandon practically melted into him.
"I just got here." Mike ruffled his hair.
Derek took the opportunity to slip away. "I'll just go."
"You're not going to apologize?" Brandon shouted after him.
"Nope," Derek called back. "You're fine. You should apologize."
"Idiot," Brandon muttered, brushing imaginary dust off himself. I let out a chuckle shaking my head at them.
Mike snorted.
"I swear he's feral," Brandon muttered again.
Mike chuckled — a genuine laugh this time, tension slowly breaking.
"So what are you doing here?" Brandon asked.
"You mean at the party?"
"No, dummy — here at Jolls' apartment."
"I came to check on my girl."
Brandon froze. "Wait. You two are—?"
"No," I cut in immediately. "His girlfriend is Sandy. She's asleep. In the spare room." I added over explaining.
Brandon nodded, relieved.
"So… girlfriend before boyfriend? Interesting."
Mike smirked. "Jealous?"
"Devastated," Brandon deadpanned, hand over his heart. "The pain is unbearable."
Mike rolled his eyes.
"Stop." Brandon said smacking him.
Mike sighed. "How's Chase?"
"You're not going to ask about me first?" Brandon gasped.
"How are you, Brandon?"
"Don't bother," Brandon grumbled, waving him off. "Anyway, if you want to know about Chase, go ask him."
"So going on with you two?" I asked curiosity getting the better of me.
Brandon answered first, fast: "He broke my heart."
Mike groaned. "He had a crush. I told him I wasn't gay." It all made sense now.
Brandon nudged him. "Still do." Mike let out a small chuckle while getting up.
The irony hit me.
Mike had someone who adored him… but he loved someone else.
"I'm going to check on Sandy," Mike said quietly.
The air shifted again — serious, heavy.
He disappeared in to the room that I had just pointed.
Brandon collapsed onto the couch as soon as Mike disappeared. "I used to have a crush. Now I just love to annoy him." he whispered.
I nodded. "I get it."
"So why weren't you at the party?" he asked.
"I had guests."
He gave me a knowing look. No judgment, no pressure.
The spare-room door shut. And I hoped he wouldn't wake her. Thankfully a moment later Mike reappeared, softer, steadier and there were no signs of sandy with him. Thank God, she needed to rest.
"She's okay." he said and my chest loosened as if I hadn't known she was okay.
"I'll go meet Chase," he said. "And maybe have a drink."
"You're not coming with me?" he asked Brandon hold the door knob.
"I'll be right behind you."
With that Mike left, letting loud music and stale air spill into the apartment before the door shut again.
Brandon groaned as soon as the door shut. "I'm starving."
"There is biscuits in the kitchen. Help yourself."
He returned like a man rescued from famine — plate piled with biscuits, juice in hand.
"You're that hungry?" Guess chase did manhandle him to eat today.
"You have no idea," he said, stuffing two biscuits into his mouth at once.
He was halfway through when the door flew open again. Talk of the devil.
"There you are."
Chase grabbed Brandon's wrist, eyes glassy from alcohol. "You can't just disappear."
"I was eating—" Brandon started.
Chase took the plate from him and set it down.
"We're going."
Brandon turned back to me. Bye.
Then he was gone.
My world seem to finally slow down from all chaos.
I locked the door, showered, and slipped into pajamas. Too tired to deal with the mess on my bed, I grabbed my pillow and headed to the spare room.
Sandy was breathing softly, eyelashes resting against flushed cheeks. Peaceful. Untouched by chaos.
I prayed morning wouldn't steal that peace from her. I planned to talk to her. Would she hear me out?
Would anyone ever panic like that for me? Would anyone sprint across a building, thinking they might lose me?
I lay beside her and closed my eyes, but peace didn't come.
Tomorrow, she would wake up.
And I would have to tell her everything.
Sleep eventually dragged me down, heavy and unwilling.
Morning was waiting —
and it wouldn't be gentle.
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