Perfect.
…
The wine is hitting me hard. My head feels heavy, dizzy. I press my palms against my cheeks, holding myself steady, closing my eyes tight, trying to fight off the hurt swirling around in my stomach.
Then, somewhere nearby breaks the silence.
I lift my head slowly, squinting at the blurry shapes emerging from around the rocky corner. My brain tries to piece it together, but the wine isn’t exactly helping.
When the figures finally come into focus, I nearly choke.
Gio. And some guy pressed way too close to him.
My eyes widen instantly as I connect the dots. "Oh fuck no," I mutter under my breath, scrambling to get my stuff. "I’m getting out of here."
Not tonight. Not right now. I can’t take another plot twist.
I barely make it halfway up before Gio shoves me back down onto the pebbles, gently but firmly.
Perfect. Absolutely normal behavior. Totally fine.
And what do I do? I sit.
Like a well-trained little soldier. Gio ignores my reaction entirely, turning toward his companion instead.
The guy is undeniably attractive, tall, tanned, clearly athletic.
Messy hair. Perfect jawline, annoyingly perfect abs beneath his open shirt.
Seriously,of courseGio’s hookups look like that.
"Sorry," Gio says smoothly to the guy, trying to whisper so that I won’t hear him.
"That’s… my ex. You better go. He once lit his own shirt on fire just so I’d notice him. Yeah. I’ll handle this before he starts being crazy again."
What.
"Are you… gonna be okay?" The dude asks Gio and then looks at me.
Amazing. Hit me with more humiliation, why not? Pile it on.
I’m apparently built like a granite countertop today, I can take EVERYTHING.
First I am the gentle, soft, idiot boyfriend… and now I am the crazy ex who almost set himself on fire.
A full character arc in a few hours. Great job, Rava. Really killing it.
"Of course I will. I will text you later." He leans forward, planting a casual kiss on the guy’s neck, who gives me one final curious glance before disappearing back up the beach. To his eyes, I am a psychopath now.
My cheeks burn hot with anger.
"Crazy ex?" I snap, glaring up at Gio. "I lit my own shirt on fire? Seriously? What the hell was that?"
Gio just stares down at me. "You wanted me to tell him the truth?"
I scoff bitterly, turning my head away. Gio sighs and sinks down right in front of me, his elbows resting casually on his knees.
The moonlight hits him, and it makes that piercing on his bottom lip shine like it’s glowing.
