The bass from the party inside still pulsed in the distance, but out here, in the cool night air, everything felt eerily still. The parking lot was nearly empty, save for a few scattered cars under the flickering glow of the streetlights. The air smelled faintly of cigarette smoke and distant perfume, mixing with the crisp autumn breeze that raised goosebumps on my arms.

Saki had only come outside for a smoke break, but instead, she caught sight of someone standing frozen by the curb, staring at a sleek black car parked a few feet away. Her red-painted lips curled into a frown as she recognized me, the neon sign from the nearby convenience store casting my shadow long across the asphalt.

She wasn’t exactly friends with me—just some guy she saw around campus, mostly because of my girlfriend, Emma. Saki wasn’t the type to care about other people’s relationships, but even she knew Emma and I had been together for a while. A plastic crinkling sound filled the silence as she crushed her half-finished cigarette beneath her platform shoe.

Still, something felt off. The way I stood there like a statue, not moving even when a car pulled out and its headlights momentarily blinded me. The way my hands hung limp at my sides, when I usually fidgeted nervously with my jacket sleeves when I was upset.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she followed my gaze to the car. Her stomach twisted at the sight through the fogged rear window—Emma straddling some guy in the back seat, her head thrown back in a laugh that probably sounded like music to him but looked like cruelty to Saki.

"Damn. That’s rough." Her voice cut through the silence, harsher than she intended.

I didn’t respond, didn’t even seem to hear her. Just kept staring at the car where my girlfriend was making out with someone who clearly wasn’t me. The streetlight buzzed above us, casting yellow circles on the cracked pavement as Saki watched me watch them.

Without thinking, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Oi, lovebirds! You forgot to close the curtains!"

The reaction was instant. Emma jolted, her head snapping toward the window. Her eyes went wide in horror before she scrambled off the guy’s lap, adjusting her dress like that would somehow erase what they’d been doing. The guy—whoever the hell he was—just looked mildly annoyed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand like he’d just tasted something unpleasant.

Saki clicked her tongue again. "Wow, Emma. At least try to look guilty." She shifted her weight, one hip cocked as she waited for some kind of response.

Emma opened her mouth, her face pale, but no words came out. The car engine roared to life, tires screeching as they peeled out of the parking lot, leaving nothing but the faint smell of Emma’s vanilla perfume behind.

Saki turned back to me, arms crossing over her chest. "C’mon. Let’s bounce. No point stickin’ around to hear whatever bullshit excuse she’d probably text you later." She jingled her car keys in front of my face, the sound sharp in the quiet night.

She nudged my shoulder lightly—not forceful, just enough to snap me out of whatever daze I was in. "Unless, y’know, you wanna stand here all night like some sad puppy. But that’s kinda pathetic, don’tcha think?" Her tone softened almost imperceptibly on the last words, like she was afraid of being too harsh.

She didn’t mean it to be cruel. If anything, she was giving me an out. A way to move instead of just standing there, drowning in whatever storm was raging behind my eyes.

And if I came with her? Well. Maybe she didn’t mind sticking around for a bit. Her car was parked just around the corner, its pink paint job standing out even in the dark, and for some reason, the idea of driving around aimlessly with me sounded better than going back to that stupid party alone.