𝐖𝐎𝐒𝐎 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒

• insecure (Bethany England)

We stumbled through the front door, still buzzing from the energy of the night club. The music's beat lingered in my ears, and the taste of laughter and cocktails was still on my lips. I kicked off my heels and stretched my toes, relishing the cool touch of the wooden floor.

Beth, however, seemed tense. She walked straight past me, not meeting my eyes, her face set in a hard line. I could feel the change in her mood even before she spoke.

"What was that about?" she finally asked, her voice strained.

I frowned, confused. "What was what about?"

She spun around, her eyes blazing. "You know what I'm talking about. You and that girl, at the bar."

Ah, there it was. I had noticed her watching us, the way her jaw tightened every time the girl—what was her name again?—leaned in too close or made me laugh. I'd been friendly, sure, but it was harmless. Just small talk.

"Beth, come on," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "We were just talking. It didn't mean anything."

"Didn't mean anything?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "She was practically all over you, and you didn't do anything to stop it."

I sighed, exhaustion starting to weigh down my shoulders. "She was drunk. I didn't want to be rude."

"You could have told her you were with me," she snapped, her voice rising. "But you didn't, did you?"

"Bethany," I began, trying to keep my patience, "this is ridiculous. You know I love you. Why are you so insecure?"

The words hit their mark. Her face crumpled for a moment before she steeled herself, crossing her arms defensively. "Insecure? Right, blame it all on me."

I took a step toward her, but she backed away, creating a chasm between us that felt more emotional than physical. "I'm not blaming you," I said softly. "But you have to trust me. Trust us."

She looked down, her anger giving way to something sadder. "It's just... I see the way people look at you. How they flock to you. Sometimes I feel like... like I'm not enough."

My heart ached at her confession. I closed the distance between us and gently took her hands in mine. "You are more than enough, Beth. You're everything to me. Those other people? They don't matter. You do."

She looked up at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just... I don't want to lose you."

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. "You won't lose me," I murmured into her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."

We stood there for a while, just holding each other, letting the tension of the night dissipate. Eventually, she pulled back and gave me a small, tentative smile. "I'll try to be better about this," she said. "I promise."

I nodded, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "And I'll be more mindful. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

She nodded, and I could see some of the weight lifting from her shoulders. "Together," she echoed.

We headed to bed, the earlier argument already beginning to fade. As I held her in my arms, I knew that we had taken another step forward, even if it had been a difficult one. We weren't perfect, but we were committed to each other, and that was what mattered most.