It's always you. - Hector Fort

Chapter 8

The next chapter is a continuation of this one.

Will something happen between Hector and Sophie?..

••••

"I've missed you guys so much," I said, sinking into the couch, feeling like everything had changed even though we were all still here together.

"Yeah, I didn't really have anyone to talk to either," Lamine said, sounding unusually serious. "And Hector's been a mess. Martina dumped him."

"What? Another breakup?" I asked, but honestly, I wasn't too shocked. Drama followed Hector everywhere, and Martina wasn't the easiest either.

"Yeah, it's been rough," Lamine sighed, but before I could ask more, Valentina stood up abruptly, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

"I'm heading out. Gotta get home" she said, her voice strangely tense.

"Why are you going?" I asked, frowning as I looked at her.

She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Just some stuff. I'll see you at the party tomorrow, though. Promise," she said, grabbing her suitcase and practically rushing out the door before I could push her for more details.

"Why's she acting so weird?" I asked, turning to Lamine and Pedri, but they exchanged a look, one that told me they knew something I didn't.

Pedri cleared his throat, clearly trying to change the subject. "Hey, did I mention Lamine's got a girlfriend now? Her name's Alex. I think you'd really like her."

"That's great, but what's up with Val?" I pressed, not letting them distract me.

Pedri sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, but didn't say anything. Lamine just shook his head, avoiding eye contact. I could feel the weight of something unspoken hanging between us, and I hated it.

The next day

"You look gorgeous, Valentina," I said, adjusting my earrings as I glanced at her in the mirror. But Valentina didn't look like herself tonight. Her eyes were red-rimmed, like she'd been crying, though she'd done a good job of hiding it with makeup.

"You too, Sophie," she said softly, but her voice was distant. I could tell she was putting on an act, trying to hold it together, but I wasn't buying it.

I stepped closer, frowning. "Val, seriously. What's going on? You've been off. Is something wrong?"

Valentina looked away, her lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, I thought she wasn't going to answer. Then she took a deep breath. "I'm fine, Sophie. Really. Let's just enjoy tonight, okay?" she said, but the way she grabbed my hand felt desperate.

At the party

The party was smaller than I expected, fewer people and a quieter vibe than the usual wild nights we were used to. Everyone was trying to act normal, but I could feel it—the tension, the heaviness in the air, like there was something unspoken that no one wanted to deal with.

"Not as many people as I thought," I said, glancing around the dimly lit room.

Valentina shrugged, sitting beside me, but she barely looked at me. "Our friends are here. That's what matters," she muttered, but she sounded miles away.

"No, that's not it," I said, cutting through her facade. "Val, seriously. What's going on? You've been off today. Something's wrong. Just tell me."

She stayed silent for a moment, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Then, she took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping under the weight of whatever she was holding back. I could feel the shift—this was the moment she was going to finally tell me.