𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧' 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 ─────⋆⋅★𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘺

𝟑𝟐. 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲

Suki paced the narrow backstage hallway, the buzzing chaos of the show just a few walls away. She could feel the thrum of the music through the floor and hear the chatter of her team beyond the dressing room door. She was supposed to be warming up her voice, supposed to be in full control—but Megan's words from the studio session still swirled in her head, echoing in a voice that was sharp, clear, and unapologetic: "Never let them make you feel like you need someone else to be whole."

She wasn't the type to get hung up on anyone, much less doubt herself. The idea of letting someone else—especially a man—dull her edge was the opposite of everything she'd built. And yet, she'd let herself be drawn in with Drew. She'd put him on a pedestal, let herself forget who she was, what she'd come here to do. And, yeah, sure, things were good between them now, but it was unsettling to remember a time when she'd put his needs above her own, when she'd let herself be distracted by all his "but we didn't define it" nonsense. She, who'd never needed anyone's validation before. In that moment, she had forgotten who the fuck she was.

And, maybe even worse, she'd forgotten the game.

She turned, heading toward the stage entrance, only to be pulled out of her thoughts by Delilah Belle—stunning, wide-eyed, and looking at her like she was meeting an actual goddess.

"Oh my God," Delilah breathed, practically star-struck, "I can't believe it's actually you."

Suki managed a small, cool smile, brushing off the slight ego boost. "Yeah, well, you're kind of a legend yourself." The words were light, but she could hear the edge of her own confidence slipping back, like a fire catching. This girl, Delilah, was six feet of perfect runway beauty. And yet, she was looking at her with that same starry-eyed admiration.

Delilah's gaze shifted, almost nervously, to her phone, and Suki could see a mix of frustration and insecurity flicker across her face. Delilah hesitated, then laughed lightly, her voice catching. "I know this is so dumb, but... there's this guy. Jack. I thought things were... happening between us, but I'm sitting here on read while he posts stories from God knows where." She laughed again, this time bitterly. "We haven't defined anything, and I guess I didn't want to push him. But now I feel... stupid."

Hearing Delilah talk about Jack's casual cruelty, the lukewarm "just enough" energy, Suki felt a flash of familiarity. She'd gone through this with Drew, let herself play second fiddle to his whims and games back when he couldn't make up his mind. It was so strange now, remembering how she'd let herself bend to his pace, putting herself in a place that just wasn't her. But she wasn't Drew's girl; she wasn't anybody's girl, not really. She was Suki Monroe, and no man, no matter how sweet or magnetic, should make her forget that.

"Look, I've been there," she said, and her voice came out steelier than she intended, like armor. "Back when Drew and I first started talking, we didn't have a label, and I figured that was just the way things worked. But then, when he started going public with this other girl, I felt—well, like you said, stupid. But it wasn't me who was the problem. It was my own choice to let someone else's standards decide my worth. I forgot who I was for a minute, thought maybe he was worth more than he was giving."

Delilah's eyes widened slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "And what did you do about it?"

Suki lifted her chin, the ghost of her old self-assured smirk playing on her lips. "I walked. And if Jack doesn't see what he has in front of him? Maybe you should do the same." Her words hung in the air, strong and firm, but she knew they were as much for herself as they were for Delilah. She was still Suki Monroe, after all. One guy, no matter how dreamy or sweet or right he seemed in the moment, wouldn't break her—or make her.