"You're coming, right?" Emma’s voice rang in my head as I stood outside the Gunnarsen family home, nervously playing with the strap of my bag. I could still hear her laughter through the phone when she convinced me to join them for a 'small' gathering. How did I let her talk me into this?
I had been dreading this moment. Not because of Emma, who had become one of my closest friends at university, or even Marcus and Nora, who were always welcoming and fun to be around. But there was one person I knew would be inside that house—a person I would have gladly avoided for the rest of my life.
Martinus Gunnarsen.
The boy who had been a constant thorn in my side for as long as I could remember. We had clashed since childhood, arguing about everything—whether it was who could climb the tree fastest or whose playlist was better at school dances. Now, years later, nothing had changed. We still argued over the most ridiculous things, and every time we were in the same room, it felt like the air itself grew thick with tension.
But for Emma’s sake, I had agreed to come. I owed her that much.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. Almost immediately, it swung open, revealing Marcus, his face lighting up in a warm grin.
"Y/N! About time," he said, pulling me into a friendly hug. "Come on in, everyone's here already."
I stepped inside, the warmth of the house instantly wrapping around me. From the living room, I could hear laughter—Nora’s voice rising above the others, no doubt in the middle of telling some story. I smiled despite myself. At least she and Marcus were always easy to be around.
Then, as if summoned by some cruel twist of fate, my eyes landed on him.
Martinus was sitting on the couch, his phone in hand, not bothering to look up as I entered. But I could feel it—the familiar chill that ran through me whenever we were in the same space. I wasn’t here for him. I could do this. I’d just stick close to Emma and Nora, maybe talk with Marcus when he wasn’t glued to his girlfriend’s side, and avoid Martinus altogether.
"Y/N!" Emma called, bouncing over from the kitchen and enveloping me in a hug. "I’m so glad you came! I was starting to think you ditched us."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Like I’d miss one of your parties."
"Come meet Nora. I mean, you already know her, but properly!" Emma dragged me toward the kitchen where Nora was perched on a stool, sipping some sort of fancy drink Marcus must have made.
"Y/N!" Nora waved, her smile as warm as ever. "Glad you made it. Emma’s been talking non-stop about you joining us tonight."
"Has she now?" I raised an eyebrow at Emma, who just grinned back.
Before I could respond, though, a voice cut through the air like a knife.
"Y/N," Martinus said flatly from behind me. "Didn’t expect to see you here."
I turned slowly, bracing myself for whatever jab was coming next. His smirk was already in place, that familiar glint of mockery in his eyes.
"Well, I’m full of surprises," I shot back, crossing my arms.
Marcus, sensing the tension, stepped in quickly. "Alright, let’s all just get along tonight, yeah? We’re supposed to have fun."
"Fun," Martinus echoed with a snort, his gaze lingering on me for just a second too long before he turned back to his phone.
I exhaled slowly, willing myself to remain calm. This was exactly why I had avoided this for so long. He never failed to push my buttons, and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
As the evening went on, I tried my best to focus on Emma, Nora, and Marcus. We laughed, played a few games, and for a while, I almost forgot about the presence sitting in the corner, casting his snide remarks whenever he saw fit.
Until, of course, Emma decided we should play charades. And of course, as fate would have it, Martinus and I ended up on the same team.
"Great," I muttered under my breath as we stood opposite Marcus, Nora, and Emma.
Martinus smirked, hearing me. "Try not to mess this up for us, alright?"
I shot him a glare. "I could say the same to you."
The game started, and much to my surprise, we didn’t completely suck. In fact, we were good. Scarily good. Every time I acted out something, Martinus guessed it within seconds. And when it was his turn, I found myself understanding his clues without even trying.
"Wow," Nora laughed after our third win in a row. "Who knew you two were such a good team?"
"Don’t get used to it," Martinus said, glancing at me with something almost like amusement in his eyes.
I rolled mine in response but couldn’t deny the strange warmth that spread through me when he looked at me like that. What was that? I wasn’t supposed to feel anything but annoyance toward him. And yet…something had shifted between us tonight.
Later, after the games ended and people started to wind down, I stepped outside to get some air. The cool night breeze felt good against my skin as I leaned against the porch railing, looking up at the stars.
"You’re not leaving already, are you?"
I jumped slightly, turning to see Martinus standing behind me, his hands shoved into his pockets. He wasn’t smirking this time, and his voice wasn’t dripping with sarcasm like usual. In fact, he almost seemed…nervous?
"No," I said slowly. "Just needed a break."
He nodded, stepping closer but keeping his distance, his gaze following mine to the sky. For a few moments, we stood in silence, the awkwardness of it all hanging between us like a heavy fog.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, trying to figure out what this was. He wasn’t teasing me or making snarky comments. He was just…there. And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel like I wanted to claw my way out of the situation.
"About earlier," he said suddenly, his voice quieter than before. "I didn’t mean to be such a jerk."
I blinked, genuinely shocked. Was Martinus Gunnarsen…apologizing?
Before I could respond, he turned his gaze to mine, his expression serious. "I don’t know why, but…being around you always throws me off. I guess I just don’t know how to act."
My heart skipped a beat. This was a side of him I hadn’t seen before, a side I wasn’t sure I knew how to handle.
"Maybe," I said slowly, "we’ve both been going about this the wrong way."
He looked at me for a moment longer before nodding slightly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Maybe."
And just like that, something changed between us. Something I hadn’t been expecting.
Maybe this was just the beginning.
