Kaiza sat on the edge of the bed, the dim light from the streetlamp outside flickering through the half-closed blinds, casting long shadows across the room. The faint hum of traffic outside was a distant reminder of the world beyond these four walls, but inside, the air was heavy with the lingering scent of cologne and the remnants of their shared warmth. The room was small, cluttered with the casual disarray of two people who had become too comfortable with each other—clothes strewn across the floor, the sheets tangled and twisted from their earlier embrace.

I'm cheating on my girlfriend with my best friend... The thought echoed in Kaiza’s mind, a cold, hard truth that gnawed at his conscience, but he couldn’t deny the pull that brought him here time and time again. Is this wrong? He already knew the answer. Of course, it was. But the guilt, though ever-present, was dulled by the thrill of the forbidden, by the craving for something Emily couldn’t give him.

Emily... She was the kind of girl you were supposed to be in love with. Beautiful, with a smile that could light up a room, and a laugh that made heads turn. She was charismatic, kind, and everything Kaiza had thought he wanted. Yet, the reality of their relationship had settled into a monotonous routine, leaving him feeling more like a passenger in his own life than an active participant. Their moments together were filled with quick pecks on the cheek, safe, comfortable embraces, and conversations that skirted around the edges of deeper, more meaningful connections.

And then there was her constant refrain, “We’ll only make love when we get married, okay honey?” She’d say it with that sweet, reassuring smile, and Kaiza would nod, agreeing outwardly while inwardly, frustration festered. Now, with the city’s soft glow seeping into the room, Kaiza found himself in his best friend’s lap, their bodies pressed together, their breaths mingling in the stillness of the night. Just as the tension between them reached its peak, the sharp buzz of his phone on the nightstand cut through the haze like a knife.