Chapter One: Letting Go
The cab smelled faintly of pine air freshener and worn leather, the kind of smell that clung to city taxis long after midnight. The windows rattled with each bump, and neon lights from storefronts streaked across the glass like broken rainbows. Eva pressed her forehead lightly against the window, the cool glass grounding her. Her reflection stared back at her—lip gloss perfect, eyeliner sharp, but eyes that betrayed exhaustion, a heaviness makeup could never disguise.
Beside her, Serene was a live wire of energy. She sat forward, dark curls bouncing as she gestured with her hands, already scripting the night ahead. "Girl, tonight is not about him," she said, her tone both firm and playful. "We're washing Tio out of your system. I'm talking cocktails, dancing, maybe some questionable karaoke if the mood hits. And by tomorrow? He's just a bad decision on your blocked list."
Eva huffed out a laugh, though it didn't quite reach her chest. "You make it sound so simple."
"It is simple." Serene leaned back, crossing her arms with mock authority. "You changed schools, remember? New term, new energy, new possibilities. That boy doesn't get to haunt your future. Let him rot in the past where he belongs."
Eva wanted to believe her. Wanted to feel light, untethered, like the kind of girl who could shake heartbreak off in one night. But the truth scratched at her ribs, raw and restless. I still don't know how I didn't see it, she thought, guilt gnawing. The late-night excuses. The days he'd vanish without explanation. The way her gut whispered "something's wrong" long before her heart was ready to hear it.
Her throat tightened. "I still don't know how he—"
"Nope." Serene cut in quickly, like a lifeguard pulling someone out of dangerous waters. "No more sad talk. Tonight you're not crying over a boy. Tonight you're fire, Eva."
Eva gave a weak smile, appreciating the rescue, even if her chest still ached. She didn't trust herself to say more.
The cab slowed, tires crunching against gravel as it pulled up outside a low-lit bar. Music thudded faintly from behind closed doors, heavy bass that made the sidewalk hum. Neon signs painted the street in sharp pinks and blues, casting both of them in shifting color.
Serene slipped out first, heels clicking, posture already radiating confidence. Eva followed, her jacket pulled close like armor. The air was crisp, biting her cheeks, but she barely noticed—her nerves buzzed louder.
Inside, the bar swallowed them whole. The scent of liquor and cigarette smoke clung to clothes, mixing with bursts of perfume. The floor vibrated with the beat, each pulse shaking up through their shoes. The crowd moved like a single living organism—dancers pressed close, laughter spilling over the music, bartenders slinging drinks in practiced rhythm.
They claimed a corner table. Shots burned down their throats, cocktails sweetened the edges. Two drinks became four. The heaviness in Eva's chest loosened, drink by drink, laugh by laugh. Her cheeks flushed, her limbs felt lighter. She caught herself smiling, really smiling, in a way that felt almost like freedom.
Serene pulled her onto the dance floor. They moved together in wild rhythm, the kind of unrestrained joy that reminded Eva of middle school sleepovers, of a time before love got complicated. Hair in her face, sweat on her temples, Eva laughed—loud and unguarded.
And then she saw him.
Tio.
Leaning against the bar like he hadn't shattered her world just months ago. The same easy grin that once made her knees weak. The same casual posture, like he owned the room. But now, the sight of him struck her like a slap.
He saw her too.
His grin faltered. His jaw set. He pushed through the crowd, every step purposeful, until he grabbed her arm and dragged her toward a shadowy corner.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the music.
Eva yanked her hand free, her pulse spiking. "Excuse me?"
"I said, what are you doing—drinking, laughing like nothing happened?" His eyes burned, the same possessiveness she once mistook for devotion.
Her stomach churned. Images flashed—nights waiting by her phone, the excuses, the rumors she ignored until proof hit her like a knife. Her heart ached, but fury steadied her.
"You lost the right to ask me anything the day you cheated, Tio."
His face twisted, caught between guilt and indignation. "It wasn't like that—"
"Don't." Her voice rose above the music, sharp enough to cut. "You don't get to rewrite history. You don't get to rewrite me. I'm not yours. Not anymore."
He blinked, stunned. For once, the ego that always shielded him faltered.
Eva's hands trembled, but her voice stayed steady. "Get the f**k out of my face."
She turned, her heart hammering, a strange mix of anger and relief washing through her.
And that's when she felt it.
A stare.
From across the dim corridor, a pair of light blue eyes locked with hers. Unnaturally clear, sharp as ice under moonlight. They weren't filled with judgment or pity—just focus.
The world muted. The noise dulled to a low hum. Eva's breath caught as her chest tightened, not with fear exactly, but something unfamiliar. The stare pinned her in place, like a magnet pulling at her bones.
And then the figure turned. Disappeared into the crowd, swallowed by the music as if they'd never been there.
Eva blinked, unsettled, skin prickling though the air was hot and heavy.
She looked back at Tio, her voice low but steady. "I never want to see you again. Stay away from me."
And she walked away, each step firm, like shedding weights she'd carried too long.
…
Serene spotted her near the entrance, worry flickering across her face. "You okay?"
Eva nodded, her lips parting in something between a laugh and a shaky breath. "More than okay."
Serene grinned, fierce and proud. "Good. Because we're not going home yet. One more drink. One more song."
They were back on the dance floor soon after. Lights strobing pink and violet, bass rattling the walls, the night alive with wild, reckless energy. Eva raised her glass high, the weight of months lifting inch by inch. She wasn't healed. But she was burning, alive, reclaiming herself one heartbeat at a time.
She laughed. She danced. She let Serene spin her until her head whirled. For a moment, it was like the past had burned away in neon light.
But then—she felt it again.
That stare.
Those same light blue eyes.
Across the crowded room, steady, unreadable, fixed on her like she was the only person there. The hush swept through her veins again, strange and magnetic.
Her breath hitched. She blinked, half-expecting them to vanish.
And sure enough, they did.
Gone, like smoke.
Leaving only the pulse of music, the blur of lights, and the faintest chill running through her chest.