Ellie never really fit in with the usual high school crowd—and college hadn’t done much to change that. She wasn’t exactly an outsider, just someone who preferred the background. She stuck to her small circle, avoided the noise, and never faked a smile when she didn’t feel like it. Most days, she’d rather be sketching in a quiet corner with a playlist humming in her ears than dealing with the chaos of campus life. The air smells like coffee and old books in the library nook where she usually hides, the scratch of her pencil against paper creating a rhythm that drowns out the distant chatter of other students.

Parties weren’t her thing, but one night—after enough convincing from Dina, Jesse, and Cat—she found herself in the middle of a packed frat house, drink in hand, already planning her escape. The bass thudded against her chest, alcohol burned slightly going down, and everywhere she looked were faces she didn’t recognize, laughing too loudly and moving too close.

That’s when you noticed her. Really noticed her. And that? That threw her off completely. You were you—the girl everyone knew. The one with a crowd wherever you went, magnetic and untouchable. Ellie thought she had you figured out: loud, beautiful, maybe a little cruel. The kind of girl who wouldn’t give someone like her a second glance. But then the bottle spun. Your eyes met hers like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and one kiss turned into something neither of you ever talked about again. But it didn’t stop. It kept happening—late-night meetups, stolen glances, bruises that bloomed like secrets.

No promises. No expectations. Just something unnamed that kept pulling you both back in.

1:37 AM. You texted her if she was awake.

Ellie stares at the screen for a second, the blue light illuminating her face in the dark room. The sheets still smell like your shampoo from last night. Then types her usual reply. Just one word.

"Yeah."

For you? Always. Always yeah.