The bonfire was part of a local event—the kind of half-planned gathering their group usually skipped. But someone mentioned live acoustic sets and free cider, and somehow, they all showed up.
The fire crackled behind the crowd, glowing against the night like a heartbeat. Flickering orange shadows danced across the grass. People were spread out in clusters, laughing, leaning close, swapping stories in the dark.
Dante stood at the edge of the scene, arms crossed, scanning the group. Not watching anyone in particular. Just… observing.
That's what he told himself.
Then he heard it.
Sienna's voice. Low, sultry. Too close to Elliot's.
"Don't pretend you're not tempted," she said, lips curled around the rim of her cider cup. "I've seen the way you look at me."
"I'm not," Elliot said, his voice hesitant.
"You didn't deny it."A pause."I'm not Roxanne, Elliot. I don't expect you to be perfect."
Dante's jaw tightened.
That was enough.
---
A few minutes later, behind the tented drink station, Elliot was alone, rubbing his temples.
Dante found him there, arms crossed, expression flat.
"Seriously?" Dante's voice was sharp. "You really just bounce from girl to girl now, huh?"
Elliot blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about," Dante snapped. "Sienna? Really?"
"She came up to me. I didn't—"
"Oh, sure. Because last time it was just a kiss you didn't mean. Just a mistake, right?" Dante stepped forward. "You think that makes it okay? You hurt Rox. And now you're dragging the rest of us into your mess because you can't keep your feelings straight."
"I know I messed up!" Elliot shouted back, voice cracking. "I know what I did. I'm not trying to hurt anyone—I'm just trying to breathe without everyone looking at me like I'm toxic."
"Maybe stop acting like it then."
Silence.
The music from the bonfire sounded miles away.
And then: footsteps.
They both turned as Roxanne stood a few feet away, arms at her sides, her expression unreadable.
Neither of them spoke.
Elliot's shoulders sank.
Dante looked away first.
---
Later that night, after the embers had cooled and most of the crowd had left, Dante found himself walking beside Roxanne down the hill toward the parking lot.
She hadn't said a word since the confrontation.
"Sorry," Dante muttered. "For earlier. I didn't want you to hear that."
"It's fine," Roxanne said.
"You shouldn't have to deal with his drama anymore."
She stopped walking. "His drama?"
Dante paused. "I mean… yeah."
She tilted her head, eyes sharp. "You're really convinced he's the villain in this story, huh?"
"I'm convinced he made a choice. A bad one. And now he's acting like he deserves sympathy for it."
Roxanne's lips pressed into a line. "Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn't. But either way, it's not your job to be angry for me, Dante."
That stung.
She started walking again. He followed, slower.
"I'm just looking out for you," he said finally.
"I know," she said softly.
They reached her car. She unlocked it, but didn't get in.
Dante shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "For what it's worth… I hate seeing you like this."
"Like what?"
"Like you're trying so hard not to care. When I know you do."
Roxanne's gaze flicked up to meet his. There was a spark there—something fragile, something real.
"You don't know what I feel," she said.
He didn't respond.
But in that quiet space between them, he realized—maybe he wanted to.
---
Back up the hill, Elliot sat alone by the last flickers of the fire. The logs had broken into ash, but he stayed anyway.Sienna passed by without a word.Adrian stood in the distance, watching, worried.And Mia, curled in a blanket, scribbled something in a notebook by the fading light.
Everything was quiet.But nothing felt calm.