The days that followed our unexpected truce with Martinus were… odd. After years of constant bickering, the tension between us seemed to have melted, but it left behind something unfamiliar. Not quite friendship, but definitely not the hostility we’d clung to for so long. I found myself thinking about him more than I cared to admit.
And that was starting to get confusing.
Emma, Marcus, Nora, and I had planned a night out at a new club downtown. As much as I was looking forward to it, part of me dreaded the fact that Martinus was obviously going to be there, too. We had hung out in the same group before, but things felt different now. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between us after that café conversation.
By the time Emma and I met up with the others, the club was already buzzing with people. Lights flashed, music pounded through the speakers, and the air was electric with the energy of the night. Nora and Marcus were already on the dance floor, wrapped up in their own little world.
Typical.
"Ready for some fun?" Emma grinned, pulling me toward the bar.
I nodded, trying to push all thoughts of Martinus out of my mind. I was here to enjoy myself, not to overanalyze every interaction with him. We ordered drinks, and for a while, I let the music and the crowd distract me. Emma was laughing at some joke from the bartender, and I couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to just be in the moment.
But then I saw him.
Martinus stood near the edge of the bar, talking with a couple of his friends. His usual confident smile was in place, but when his eyes landed on me, there was a flicker of something—surprise, maybe? His gaze lingered for just a second longer than necessary before he turned back to his friends, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just as aware of me as I was of him.
I took a sip of my drink, trying to focus on Emma’s conversation, but my attention kept drifting back to Martinus. Why was I so hyper-aware of him all of a sudden? We were supposed to be past all this—past the rivalry, past the bickering. But instead of relief, all I felt was confusion.
And something else. Something I wasn’t ready to admit.
"Come on!" Emma grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the dance floor. "You’ve been too quiet tonight. Let’s dance!"
I laughed, letting her pull me into the crowd. The music was loud, the bass pulsing through the floor, and soon I found myself getting lost in it. Emma and I danced for what felt like hours, and for a while, I managed to forget all about Martinus.
But of course, that didn’t last long.
At some point, I glanced up and found him watching me from across the dance floor. His friends had disappeared, and now it was just him, leaning against the bar, his gaze fixed on me. There was something in the way he looked at me that made my heart skip a beat. It wasn’t the usual smugness, or even the playful teasing I’d come to expect. It was… something deeper. Something I didn’t know how to interpret.
My stomach flipped, and I quickly looked away, trying to focus on Emma. But the way he was looking at me—like he was seeing me in a way he never had before—made it impossible to concentrate.
Why was this happening? Why now?
Suddenly, Emma leaned in close, her voice barely audible over the music. "I’m gonna grab another drink. Want one?"
I shook my head, still feeling off balance. "I’ll wait here."
She nodded and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing there, trying to get my thoughts together. But before I could collect myself, I felt someone approach from behind.
