Her Love Is Traumatic

Lifting the weight

In the following weeks, Christine kept her distance from Lara, responding to her messages only with short replies, just for the sake of politeness. The betrayal still weighed heavily on her, and the ease with which Lara had lied lingered in her mind. She had returned to Michigan, where her roommates, Jenny and Evelyn, immediately noticed something was off. They could sense the heaviness in Christine's demeanor but respected her silence, knowing she needed space.

Still, Jenny and Evelyn were determined to cheer her up.

“Christine, we’re going out tonight. You don’t have a choice,” Jenny declared one evening as they sat around in their shared dorm room. Evelyn chimed in, “Yup, no arguments. Robert's throwing a party for his big news, and guess what? Nicole’s going to be there too! You’re coming with us.”

Christine smiled weakly but agreed. She missed Robert and felt she needed to be around her friends. Maybe tonight would help her forget everything for a while.

The private club that Robert had rented was buzzing with energy. Dim lights flashed over the dance floor, and the sound of laughter filled the space. It was a close-knit celebration—just Robert's closest friends and, of course, Nicole.

Robert had recently signed with a major music label, and everyone was thrilled for him. The entire night was about celebrating his success, but for Christine, it felt like a much-needed break from her thoughts. Jenny and Evelyn had already started dancing, their infectious laughter echoing across the room.

“About time you showed up, superstar,” Christine teased as Robert made his way over to their table, arm-in-arm with Nicole.

“Hey, you two! It’s my party, and I’m fashionably late,” Robert replied, flashing his trademark grin. “Also, just so you know, I expect full support and adoration from all of you tonight. Especially you, Christine—you owe me big for all those study sessions.”

Christine rolled her eyes. “Right, because I didn’t do half your work for you.”

“Hey, I’m going to be a music sensation now,” Robert shot back dramatically. “I don’t need to do schoolwork anymore. I’ll be too busy signing autographs.”

Nicole smirked, nudging Christine. “Don’t listen to him. He’s still going to need your help, trust me.”

“Thank you!” Christine laughed. “At least someone here is reasonable.”

“Unbelievable! My own girlfriend betraying me like this,” Robert sighed theatrically, placing a hand over his heart and pretending to be deeply wounded. “You’re supposed to support me, Nicole.”

Nicole laughed, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. “Oh, I support you, but Christine’s right. You need her more than you know.”

Their banter continued as Robert exaggerated his fake anger, flailing his arms in mock frustration. “This is outrageous. I’m surrounded by traitors.”

Jenny and Evelyn returned from the dance floor, both out of breath and red-faced from laughing. “What did we miss?” Jenny asked.

“Oh, just Robert being his usual dramatic self,” Nicole quipped, making everyone burst into laughter again.

As the night went on, Christine couldn’t help but feel lighter. Her friends were doing a good job keeping her distracted, and Robert’s playfulness always had a way of lifting her spirits. But then, in a brief moment of quiet when she glanced over at Robert and Nicole being all lovey-dovey, something shifted in her. Her mind drifted to Alex.

For some reason, the thought of him hit her out of nowhere. His easy smile, the way he made her laugh during that chemistry experiment, and how he’d always been there for her. She hadn’t heard from him in a while, and she wondered where he was, what he was doing. A pang of longing surprised her, catching her off guard. Was he thinking about her too?