It was Sunday, and the apartment was heavy with the scent of last night's party. Fran was still dead to the world, likely exhausted from hosting his friends.
I took the opportunity to reclaim our space. I started the laundry, scrubbed the kitchen, and began organizing the bookshelf in our room. As I pulled a thick textbook from the shelf, a small, glossy square fluttered to the floor.
I picked it up. It was a photo from the beach resort. In the picture, Fran and Athena were smiling at the camera, but I was visible in the background, caught mid-laugh.
Everything had been so simple back then. Or so I thought.
[Flashback]
It was a long weekend. Fran had told me he was taking me to the beach to relax, but when we pulled up to the hotel lobby, my heart sank.
Athena was already there, waiting.
"Athy?"
"Oh! Rain? You're coming too?"
The confusion on her face told me everything. I looked at Fran, waiting for an explanation. I felt like an intruder on a date I wasn't supposed to be part of.
"I brought him along," Fran said casually, checking us in. "He'd be all alone at the house for the long weekend, and I didn't want him sitting there by himself."
He said it like it was the most logical thing in the world, but I felt the heat of embarrassment in my cheeks. "Fran... I should go. You two should have your alone time."
I turned to leave, but Fran's hand clamped around my wrist like a vice.
"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "I already booked your room."
"It's okay, Rain!" Athena added, giving me a kind smile. "The more the merrier, right?"
In the end, I stayed. I tried to push Fran to share a room with her—they were dating, after all—but he wouldn't hear of it. He insisted on staying in the room with me.
The next day, I played the role of the perfect third wheel. I followed them on bike rides, trailing a few meters behind. I followed them through the markets, holding the bags and taking photos of them as they ate ice cream and looked lovey-dovey. I told myself I was happy for him. If Fran was happy, I was happy.
That night, we went to a crowded barbecue restaurant on the sand. The air was thick with the smell of grilled meat and salt. When Fran and Athena got lost in their own conversation, I quietly excused myself and sat at the bar. I just wanted a drink and a moment to stop feeling like a ghost.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
I looked up. A handsome guy was leaning against the counter, smiling at me.
"Ah... sure," I said, caught off guard. We started talking, and for a moment, it was nice to feel seen. He was funny and charming, and when he asked for my number, I gave it to him without thinking.
But then, the mood shifted. He leaned in, his voice a dark whisper that made my skin crawl.
"So... should we head up to my room now?"
"Wait, what?"
"Come on," he said, his hand sliding onto my thigh, caressing the skin. "You've got a cute face and you've got my attention. I know you want this."
I shoved his hand away, my heart racing. "What are you doing? Let go!"
"Don't make a scene," he sneered, grabbing my wrist and trying to pull me toward the exit.
"Stop playing hard to get."
I struggled against him, but before I could scream, a blur of motion crashed into the guy. A fist connected with his jaw, sending him spiraling to the sand.
It was Fran.
He looked like a man possessed. His eyes were wild with rage as he moved to land another punch on the man, whose lip was already split and bleeding.
"Fran, stop!" I lunged forward, grabbing his arm.
"What the hell? Who are you?" the guy spat, trying to scramble up.
"You f*cking asshole!" Fran growled, his voice a terrifying snarl. "What do you think you're doing with my brother? Huh?"
"Fran, that's enough! We're leaving!" I dragged him away by the waist, my heart pounding against my ribs.
Once we were far enough away, he turned on me. "Why did you stop me? That guy touched you!"
"I saw that! But forget it... it's my fault for talking to a stranger." I reached out and took his hand. His knuckles were raw and red. "Does it hurt?"
I gently blew on his skin, trying to soothe the sting. Fran went dead silent. He looked down at me with an intensity so sharp it felt like he was looking into my soul. For a second, the world around us vanished.
"Fran? Rain?"
Athena's voice broke the spell. I immediately dropped Fran's hand, the sudden loss of contact making him flinch. I had completely forgotten she was even there.
Back then, Fran was my greatest protector. He was the only one who truly cared. But then... he cut me off. He chose to treat me like a stranger.
Maybe he was right. Maybe it really was my fault.