"He hasn't answered my calls in three days, Alin," Kevin said, his voice breaking as he sat on the edge of Alin's couch, hands trembling. "I could have understood if it was just any other day, but this was our six-month anniversary." His heart was heavy, and the weight of Alex's absence had crushed him. Alin sat beside him, trying to comfort him, though unsure how to manage Kevin's crumbling emotional state.
"Kevin..." she started gently, attempting to find the right words, "don't you know how—"
"I don't know anything!" Kevin interrupted, his voice shaking with frustration. "I don't know where he lives, I don't know what his family business is, and I don't know anything about him except that he loves me... and his damn phone number!" His breathing became erratic, the pent-up emotion finally breaking through.
Seeing Kevin's distress, Alin hurried to get him water, her movements frantic as Kevin had already emptied the bottle beside him. She handed him another glass. "Drink," she urged softly, her voice steady though her eyes betrayed her concern. "Kevin, please, maybe he's just busy with something important."
Kevin looked up, and the pain in his eyes was palpable. His voice was broken when he spoke again, quieter now but no less anguished. "He didn't answer my calls or reply to a single message. He's never done this before, not like this." He swallowed hard, his throat tight. "I planned everything, Alin. I booked a room at the hotel, somewhere special, somewhere where I could... where I was going to tell him I love him. Finally. I was ready to give him my everything."
Kevin's voice cracked as he continued, and his words dissolved into sobs. "I don't care if you think I'm being dramatic, but it hurts. It hurts so damn much."
Alin's heart ached for him as she watched the tears spill down his cheeks. Kevin's voice trembled as he choked out his deepest fears. "What if he doesn't love me anymore? What if he's done waiting for me? What if he's found someone who didn't make him wait six months, someone who told him they loved him right away? Someone who—" He couldn't finish the thought, his sobs taking over as his whole body shook from the overwhelming sadness.
Alin clenched her fists, fighting back her own frustration. She had never seen Kevin like this, so utterly broken. She kneeled beside him, her voice firm but kind. "Stop calling yourself names, Kevin. Don't you dare. Didn't you tell me Alex once said he would go to the moon and back for you? That he would wait for you, no matter what? Get a hold of yourself," she said softly, though her frustration with Alex was beginning to show.
She sighed, the gravity of the situation weighing on her. "Please, Kevin. For your own health, go to sleep. I'm going to figure this out, I promise you."
Kevin sniffled, wiping his tears as he finally nodded. Exhaustion settled in his bones as he lay down on Alin's bed. She tucked him in gently, her heart aching for her friend. She whispered softly before leaving, "We'll get through this. I promise."
As Alin left the room, her expression changed. Her patience had run out. "Fucking Alex," she muttered under her breath as she grabbed her car keys, heading out the door. "How could he do this to Kevin? On their six-month anniversary of all days? What the hell is going on with him?"
Her knuckles tightened around the steering wheel as she drove to a local restaurant, her mind racing. After ordering sushi, spicy chicken, and a pepperoni pizza—Kevin's go to comfort foods—she made her way back to the car. But as she approached, a sleek, familiar car caught her eye, parked just a few spaces away. Her eyes narrowed. That was Alex's Lamborghini.
Without hesitation, she got back into her car and followed the Lamborghini as it pulled away from the restaurant. Alin wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let Alex slip away without some answers. The drive took her out of the city, down winding roads that led her to a mansion far from anywhere she recognized. She texted Kevin that she'd be late, but her focus remained on Alex's car, following it until the gates to the mansion opened.
As the car slipped inside, Alin attempted to follow, but before she could cross the threshold, a loud bang cracked through the air. Her heart nearly stopped as she realized a bullet had struck her car's windshield. Her blood ran cold as a man in a black suit appeared by her window, his gun raised. He yanked open her car door, grabbing her roughly by the arm. In a matter of seconds, she found herself handcuffed.
"Who are you?" the man growled, his grip iron-tight around her wrists.
"I need to meet that fucker, Alex!" Alin spat, her anger overriding any sense of fear.
The man's eyes flickered with surprise, and he paused for a moment before speaking into the mic on his earpiece. After receiving some unheard confirmation, he unlocked the handcuffs and gestured for her to follow. "This way."
Alin stormed behind him, her heart pounding in her chest. She was led into an office, and there, sitting casually behind a large desk, was Alex. Without thinking, without hesitation, Alin strode up to him and slapped him hard across the face, her fury erupting in that single motion. "You bastard!"
Alex didn't react, his face unreadable as he remained seated, but the guard in the room tensed, his hand twitching toward his gun. Alin didn't care. She was done holding back. "How dare you?" she hissed, her voice filled with venom. "How dare you treat Kevin like this? After everything he's done for you, after the love he's given you, and you make him cry for three days straight?"
Alex remained silent for a moment, his gaze cast down. Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet and filled with regret. "I don't have to prove my love for him to you."
Alin scoffed. "You don't have to prove it to me, but you sure as hell owe Kevin an explanation! Do you even know what you've put him through? Do you even realize it was your six-month anniversary?" She saw the faint flicker of realization in Alex's eyes, but it only enraged her more. "Six months, Alex! He had everything planned! He wanted to confess his love to you, to give himself to you fully. And where were you? Ignoring his calls, vanishing without a trace. He's been drowning in pain, and you don't even care."
Alex closed his eyes briefly, his jaw clenched. "I do care," he whispered, his voice breaking slightly. "I care more than you know. I was going to meet him today. I was going to explain— "
Alin cut him off, her voice shaking with fury. "Explain? Explain what, Alex? That you decided to make him feel like he wasn't worth your time? That you abandoned him on one of the most important day of your relationship?"
Alex opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, shame washing over his face.
—
