I was there

Avery's POV

The lights of New York flickered incessantly in the dense night, like artificial stars scattered across the concrete. The air was heavy, saturated with smoke and pollution, filling my lungs with each breath as I walked through the illuminated streets, trying to make sense of what had gone wrong that night. The city felt colder and more distant than ever. Every car that passed was a cruel reminder of how quickly things changed, slipping through my fingers like fine sand.

"Avery, I'm sorry, but to me, you're just a good friend..."

That night should have been a milestone. Deep down, I knew Jake would never be mine. He was always the kind of man who seemed unreachable, like a distant star. Still, I found myself fantasizing and wishing, if only for a second, that he would choose me. That he would look at me the same way he looked at Nancy, with that intensity and passion that consumed me with jealousy. Every word he spoke about her cut me like a sharp blade, and yet, I couldn’t