I can't .

~7~

POV Carlos: 

By noon, I'm ready to leave when my phone buzzes. I look down to see a forwarded news article from Charles. The picture is of y/n and Lewis from last night, and the headline... well, it's exactly what I didn't need to see. My stomach sinks as I stare at the image, watching them laugh together, clearly at ease. I don't even know why I'm reacting this way—I don't have any claim on her—but seeing her with Lewis like this stirs something in me that feels unsettling. I thought we shared something, but now, it's all up in the air.

I quickly tap a response to Charles and then stare at her name in my contacts. My fingers hover above the screen, unsure. Finally, I send the message: Could you explain?

I lock my phone and walk out of my hotel room, trying to push the feeling away, but it's impossible.

Just as I'm about to reach my car, Lando steps into my path.

"You look a little gloomy. Everything okay?" he asks, concern etched in his voice.

"No, didn't sleep much last night," I mutter, not in the mood for conversation.

"Sorry, didn't mean to—"

"It's not that, Lando. My head's just full of stuff. Can we talk later? I'll explain everything."

"Sure, no problem," he says with a nod, though I can see the curiosity in his eyes.

I quickly get into my car, the door slamming behind me as I start the engine. But even as I drive, my mind keeps circling back to y/n. She hasn't even read my message yet. She's probably busy, but I can't shake the nagging feeling that maybe I made a mistake letting her go out with Lewis and George. The doubt I felt earlier, the little voice in my head telling me something wasn't right, it's all starting to feel like it was justified.

I park my car in the building's garage, much too early, and sit there for a while, reading the article again, hoping I missed something, hoping it wasn't what it seemed. But deep down, I know it's not.

Before I can finish the article, I get a message from y/n. My heart skips. So you saw the article before I could tell you about it.

I stare at the message, unsure of how to respond. I let the notification sit there for a while, watching it until it disappears. Then another message pops up: I can explain it to you. Can we meet this afternoon?

I know I should hear her out, but the truth is, I'm not sure I'm ready. My thoughts are all over the place, and the last thing I want right now is to have a conversation over dinner with my head in knots.

I can't do this afternoon, I type back. But I have a few minutes tonight. Let's talk then.

She responds almost immediately, asking if I want to go out for dinner. I'm tempted, but the weight of everything hangs over me, and I know I can't handle a dinner date right now.

Tonight is better. I'm not up for dinner.

I hit send and sit back in my seat, waiting for the rest of the evening to unfold.

POV y/n:

With increased speed, I head to the gym. When I woke up this morning, I saw several missed calls from Lewis and a message from Carlos—something I probably should have expected after the photos of me and Lewis from last night surfaced online. I texted Carlos, asking if I could explain everything to him. He agreed, but it was clear from his response that he was upset. He declined my invitation to dinner tonight, and that stung more than I anticipated.