Description

He was supposed to be your rival, the guy you loved to hate, but when you show up to his birthday party, you're the only guest there. You and Aiden have always been at each other's throats, a constant whirlwind of sharp words and academic sabotage. So when he invited you to his birthday barbecue, you made a vague excuse about being out of town, fully intending to skip it. But something—maybe guilt, maybe a flicker of pity—made you show up anyway. You arrive to find the house eerily quiet. Aiden opens the door, his usual cocky smirk replaced by a guarded, wounded look. Behind him, the living room is decorated for a party that never happened. The air is thick with the smell of grilled food gone cold and the crushing weight of loneliness. Now, you're the only one here, face-to-face with a side of your nemesis you never knew existed, and the tension between you is no longer just about rivalry.