SEVI'S POV (Continuing):
When did that happen?!" I demanded, staring at him in pure disbelief. "When?! How?! Why?!"
A few people nearby turned to look at us.
I immediately noticed the attention and leaned in closer, lowering my voice to an urgent whisper.
"Who is she?"
Theo's expression instantly closed off again.
"Nothing," he muttered. "It's just… a childhood crush. You know."
I stared at him, completely unconvinced.
"A childhood crush?" I repeated. "And somehow I don't know about this?"
He gave me a dry look.
"You weren't in my childhood."
I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"I know that," I said, waving a hand dismissively. "But we've known each other since middle school. Since middle school, Theo. How do I not know this when I practically know everything about you?"
He stayed quiet.
That was answer enough.
I leaned closer, my curiosity officially activated.
"Okay," I said, lowering my voice again. "Tell me the problem."
I narrowed my eyes at him and started listing possibilities one by one.
"You couldn't confess?"
Theo's silence.
"She already has a boyfriend?"
He looked away.
"She likes someone else?"
His fingers tightened around the glass.
"She only sees you as a friend?"
His jaw clenched.
"She never thought of you that way?"
His expression turned darker.
I paused for dramatic effect, then added in a whisper,
"...Or she's not straight."
Theo finally looked at me, deadpan.
"Except for the not-straight part…" he said quietly. "Everything."
I blinked.
Then slowly sat back.
"Damn."
That was… rough.
For a moment, I actually felt bad for him.
Theo wasn't the type to fall easily. He kept things locked up so tightly most people never even noticed he was capable of wanting someone that deeply.
So if he looked like this?
If he looked this miserable?
Then he was gone. Completely gone.
I tilted my head slightly.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Nothing."
The answer came too fast.
I frowned.
"Nothing?"
He shrugged bitterly, eyes dropping back to his drink.
"What am I supposed to do?" he muttered. "She already likes someone else."
I stared at him for a second before letting out a scoff.
"Fight for it."
Theo looked at me, startled.
"What?"
"I said fight for it," I repeated, leaning in closer, my tone sharpening. "It's never too late to fight for yourself."
He frowned, uncertainty flashing across his face.
"Really?"
"Obviously."
"But what if it doesn't work?" he asked, his voice quieter now. "What if… she still ends up with him?"
For once, I didn't answer immediately.
I looked at him carefully.
Theo looked genuinely afraid.
Not of rejection.
But of losing before he'd even had the chance to try.
I swirled my drink once before answering.
"Then at least you won't regret doing nothing."
He stayed silent.
So I continued.
"At least you'll know you tried. That you confessed. That you fought for what you wanted instead of just standing there and watching someone else take her."
His eyes flickered slightly.
"Doing something is always better than doing nothing," I said firmly. "And who knows?"
I smirked faintly.
"What if she ends up with you instead?"
Theo went quiet again, but this time I could practically see the gears turning in his head.
Hope.
Dangerous, reckless hope.
"...Good point," he murmured after a moment. "But what should I even do? Should I just confess to her directly?"
I immediately shook my head.
"No."
He blinked.
"No?"
"No," I repeated, snorting. "If you confess out of nowhere, you'll freak her out. She'll think you're a weirdo."
He grimaced slightly.
"Then what?"
I tapped my finger against my glass thoughtfully.
"First, tell me who the other guy is."
Theo's expression darkened again.
"I don't know his name."
I stared at him.
"You don't know his name?"
"I mean…" he muttered awkwardly. "I only saw him from the side. I couldn't really tell who it was."
I let out a slow breath, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Unbelievable."
Then I leaned in, my voice dropping lower, more serious now.
"Fine. First, figure out who he is."
Theo nodded slowly, listening carefully.
"Once you know who he is," I continued, "it'll be easier to deal with him."
His brows furrowed.
"Deal with him?"
I smirked.
"Remove him from her life."
Theo went still.
Something flickered in his eyes.
Something dark.
Something intense.
For a second, even I noticed the shift.
The hurt in his face slowly began to harden into something more determined. More dangerous.
His grip around the glass tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"You're right," he said quietly.
His voice had changed.
Lower.
Colder.
More certain.
"I should do it."
I watched him carefully.
"I should fight for my love."
He lifted his gaze, and there was something unsettlingly resolved in his eyes now.
"I should fight for what's mine."
I held his stare for a moment… then slowly nodded.
"Exactly."
The corner of my lips lifted into a satisfied smile.
"Now," I said, leaning back against the counter and lifting my empty glass toward him.
"Now buy me a drink."