𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧, 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘

10 YEARS AGO

It had been a quiet evening. The kind of evening I had always enjoyed—books sprawled out on my desk, a soft glow from the lamp illuminating the pages, and the faint sound of rain pattering against my window. I was halfway through a novel when my phone buzzed on the desk beside me. The screen lit up, displaying Nathaniel's name. My brother rarely called unless it was something serious.

I hesitated for a moment before picking up, my thumb swiping across the screen.

"Nate?" I answered, concern creeping into my voice.

"Maluena," he started, his tone serious but slightly distracted, "I need you to do me a favor."

I felt my heart tighten. Favors from Nathaniel often meant trouble. "What is it?"

"It's Daniel," he said, pausing for a moment as if weighing his words. "He's gotten himself into some trouble again. He's drunk, really drunk, and I can't be there for him."

Daniel.

Just hearing his name sent a flood of memories through my mind. I had known Daniel for as long as I could remember. He was Nathaniel's best friend, and for years, he had been a constant presence in my life. We had shared summers at the lake, family dinners, and endless conversations, though most of those were between him and my brother. As for me, I was always the one on the sidelines, harboring a crush I was too scared to admit. He was off-limits—my brother's best friend, unattainable.

I closed my eyes, already knowing where this was heading. "Where is he?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

"Some frat party on Elm Street. It's bad, Lu. He's really out of it, and I don't trust anyone there to take care of him. Can you go pick him up? Get him back to his dorm?" Nathaniel's voice was tense, and I could hear the strain of guilt in his words. He couldn't be there for his friend, so I had to be.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah. I'll take care of him."

"Thanks, Lu. I owe you one." Nathaniel's relief was palpable, but before I could respond, he added, "Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but don't let him do anything stupid. I trust you."

"I'll handle it, Nate. Don't worry."

After hanging up, I stared at my reflection in the window, the rain still tapping against the glass. I had always known Daniel liked to party, but this felt different. Something inside me twisted uncomfortably. The image of him at a party, drunk and surrounded by people who didn't care about him, didn't sit right with me. But what did it matter? I wasn't anything more than Nathaniel's little sister in Daniel's eyes.

With a sigh, I grabbed my car keys, threw on a jacket, and headed out into the rain.

The drive to Elm Street was short but felt longer in the rain, the windshield wipers fighting to keep the glass clear. My mind raced with thoughts of what I might find. Part of me hoped he'd be okay, just needing a ride home, while the other part worried he'd be in worse shape than I could handle.

When I pulled up to the house, it was exactly what I expected—loud music pulsed through the walls, and a few stragglers lingered outside, red plastic cups in hand, laughing like they had no care in the world. I parked the car and braced myself, knowing this was going to be a mess.

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of alcohol, sweat, and smoke. The party was in full swing, people dancing, some passed out on couches, others stumbling around in various states of intoxication. It was chaos, a typical frat party, and I immediately felt out of place.