Reel Love

09 AI

Casimiro slammed the front door, the wood rattling in its frame. His heart pounded in his chest, fueled by anger and regret. He paced across the living room, hands clenched into fists, jaw tight. The image of Lisa's betrayed face flashed in his mind, and he couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his gut.

Kane appeared from the kitchen, holding a beer, eyebrows raised. "What's with the drama? Thought you'd be riding the high after seeing Lisa."

Casimiro stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes darkening as he glared at Kane. "You think this is funny? I just ruined everything because of your twisted game."

Kane smirked, leaning against the counter. "Whoa, chill. Lisa wasn't the point, remember? It was all about Ana. You did your job."

"My job?" Casimiro's voice rose, incredulous. "I wasn't doing a job, Kane. I was being a complete idiot, going along with your garbage, and now Lisa hates me."

Kane shrugged, taking a lazy sip of his beer. "You're overthinking it, man. Girls like Lisa-they bounce back. She'll be fine. You just got too attached."

Something in Casimiro snapped.

Before he realized what he was doing, he crossed the room in three strides and shoved Kane hard in the chest. Kane stumbled backward, eyes wide with surprise, nearly spilling his beer.

"Whoa, what the hell?" Kane yelled, his smirk long gone.

Casimiro's chest heaved with fury. "I liked her, Kane! This wasn't just some stupid game to me. Lisa isn't some random hookup. She's-" He stopped, his voice shaking. "She's more than that."

Kane, regaining his balance, squared his shoulders and shoved Casimiro back. "So what? You think you're in love with her now? You're being ridiculous!"

Casimiro lunged forward again, this time grabbing Kane by the collar, his knuckles white from the grip. "You don't get it, do you? You treat people like they're disposable, but they're not. Lisa's not!"

Kane's face twisted into a snarl. "Let go of me."

Casimiro hesitated for a moment, but his rage flared again, pushing him over the edge. "You dragged me into this, and now I'm paying the price for it. I let her down because I was too busy being your wingman."

Kane shoved him again, harder this time, and Casimiro's grip slipped. "You knew what this was from the start, Cas! You agreed to it, so don't act all innocent now."

Casimiro, fueled by anger and adrenaline, swung a punch at Kane's jaw. The hit landed with a solid thud, knocking Kane back into the counter. The beer bottle fell to the floor, shattering on impact.

Kane wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes narrowing in fury. "You want to throw hands over some girl?" he spat, his voice low and menacing. "Fine. But you're still the one who screwed up, not me."

Casimiro's fists were up, ready for whatever came next, but he didn't make another move. He stood there, breathing I hard, staring at Kane like he was finally seeing him for who he really was.

"You're right," Casimiro said, his voice quieter but still seething. "I did screw up. But not because of her. I screwed up because I let you talk me into this crap. I'm done, Kane. I'm done with you."

Kane glared at him, nursing his bleeding lip. "You'll be back. You always do."

Casimiro shook his head, stepping back toward the door. "Not this time."

Without another word, he walked out, leaving Kane behind, standing in the wreckage of their friendship.

The sun was setting, casting a soft golden hue across the living room. Lisa's mom zipped her suitcase by the door, ready to head back home. Lisa sat curled up on the couch, absentmindedly playing with the hem of her sweater. Ana lounged next to her, scrolling through her phone but clearly listening.