Alex sat quietly in his seat, staring out the window as the plane began its descent into New York. The city lights sparkled beneath him like stars scattered on the ground. His mind wandered back to the reason he was here—an interview with National Science Magazine. It wasn’t the first interview he’d had in recent years, but this one felt different. Perhaps it was the opportunity to share his research, or maybe it was simply because New York reminded him of a time long past.

He would be staying for a week, as his cousin Nicole had invited him to spend some time with her and her boyfriend. It was a much-needed break, or so she had said. Alex wasn’t sure he agreed. He had been aloof ever since Norah, his younger sister, had died. Her sudden death had shattered something in him. He had grown distant, avoiding family gatherings and outings with friends.

But if he were being honest with himself, it wasn’t just Norah’s death that had caused him to pull away. It was also Christine. Losing contact with her after everything had left a void in his life he couldn’t fill. He had thrown himself into books and work, drowning in research and studies, using them as an escape. He wasn’t interested in the real world anymore; it held too much pain.

Every now and then, Alex would take a glance at his phone’s wallpaper. Christine's beautiful face, her golden hair cascading down—it was that image that kept him going.

The plane landed with a gentle thud, pulling Alex from his thoughts. He gathered his things, pushed the memories back into the corner of his mind, and headed to his interview.

By the time the interview was over, the sky was tinged with hues of orange and pink. It had gone well, and Alex felt a sense of accomplishment, but the exhaustion was starting to set in. Just as he was about to head back to his temporary apartment, his cousin Nicole pulled up in her car, rolling down the window.

"Get in, Mr. Scientist! I’m taking you shopping," she said with a grin.

Alex sighed, opening the car door. "Shopping? I thought we were heading back to your place."

Nicole gave him a once-over, her nose wrinkling in mock disgust. "Not in that outfit, we’re not. You look like someone’s grandpa."

Alex glanced down at his attire—an old flannel shirt, worn jeans, and scuffed sneakers. "What’s wrong with this?"

Nicole let out an exaggerated groan. "Everything. You’re in New York, not some small-town farmers’ market. You need to look the part."

"Fine, but can we at least make it quick?" Alex muttered, already regretting his decision to stay with Nicole.

"Oh no, we’re doing this right," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

________________________

A couple of hours later, Alex stood in front of the dressing room mirror at a trendy mall, staring at his reflection. Nicole had somehow convinced him to trade in his old clothes for a white hoodie, baggy jeans, and a pair of Nike sneakers. He felt like a completely different person, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

"Come on, admit it, you look so much better," Nicole said, admiring her handiwork. "You’re practically a model now."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I look like I’m trying too hard."

"You need to loosen up, bro," Nicole teased. "You’re in New York, have some fun."

"Speaking of fun, can we go home now?" Alex asked, but Nicole was already shaking her head.

"Oh no, not yet. We’re hitting a nightclub tonight," she said, pulling him toward the exit.

Alex groaned internally. The last thing he wanted was to spend the evening at a noisy club, but arguing with Nicole was a losing battle.

________________________

Meanwhile, across town, Christine sat in the midst of her friends at a crowded bar. The dinner was long over, and drinks had been flowing for hours. Robert and Rachel were deep in conversation, while Rachel's friends tried to pull Christine into their banter. But her mind wasn’t fully present. She smiled and nodded at the right moments, but the weight of everything—the past, her complicated feelings—sat heavily on her shoulders.

Rachel had been playing matchmaker all night, nudging Christine toward her best friend, Liam. He was nice enough, charming in his own way, but Christine wasn’t interested.

“Come on, Kay, he’s perfect for you!” Rachel urged, nudging her arm.

Christine shook her head with a tired smile. “I’m fine, Rachel. Really.”

Robert glanced over, noticing Christine’s discomfort. “Let her be, Rachel. She’s just here to relax.”

But Rachel wasn’t giving up easily. “Okay, fine. Then let’s play Truth or Dare!”

A collective groan rose from the group. “We play that every time,” someone complained, but Rachel was persistent. Soon, everyone was reluctantly on board, including Christine.

The game progressed as expected—truths were shared, dares were avoided. Christine, however, opted to drink every time a dare was thrown her way. The alcohol helped her dodge uncomfortable questions or the ridiculous dares Rachel was determined to assign.

By the end of the game, Christine was thoroughly drunk, barely able to keep her eyes open. She excused herself to the washroom, splashing cold water on her face in an attempt to sober up, but when she returned, the fatigue had settled in. She found an empty table nearby and sank into a chair, quickly drifting into sleep. Robert noticed and went over to keep her company.

At that same moment, Alex and Nicole entered the club. The noise and flashing lights immediately overwhelmed him, and he scanned the area for a quieter spot to sit. That’s when his eyes landed on a familiar figure, asleep at an empty table.

It was Christine.

Alex froze, his heart racing. She looked exactly the same—her golden hair slightly tousled, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol. And sitting beside her, looking completely at ease, was Robert. A pang of jealousy shot through Alex’s chest.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Alex muttered to Nicole, trying to turn around.

But before they could leave, Robert spotted Nicole and waved her over. “Nicole! Over here!”

Nicole’s face lit up as she saw Robert.

Robert practically ran towards them and hugged Nicole tightly.

Nicole turned towards Alex and introduced him, "This is Robert, my boyfriend."

Alex looked at him in surprise and decided to ask him directly.
"Isn't she your girlfriend?" he said pointing towards Christine.

Robert laughed at his misunderstanding. "No way I would date an old lady like her" he said. "She's a nagging grandma and unfortunately also my best friend."

Alex’s heart skipped a beat. Best friend?  He thought to himself, maybe, maybe he still had a chance.

They all sat down at the table, Alex directly across from Christine. He couldn’t help but watch her, his heart swelling with a mix of emotions. Her makeup was slightly smudged, and her eyes were closed, but to him, she looked as beautiful as ever.

Robert, noticing Alex’s expression, smirked. “Don’t even think about it, bro. She’s not available.”

Nicole laughed. “He wouldn’t be interested darling. He’s still obsessed with some girl from high school.”

Before Robert could comment, Alex blurted out, “Is she in a relationship?”

Nicole's jaw dropped. Finally her brother was showing interest in some girl. Maybe, just maybe it can go well.

"Umm... Not really. You know, it's complicated" Nicole said aloud.

Robert added with a grin, “Trust me bro. Never ask her out, specially not when she's drunk." Robert said.

"Why so?" Alex asked curiously.

"She won't even listen to you and if you insist she might resort to violence. You know there was this one time when she was drunk, I tried to grab her hand to get her back home and she slapped me bro, can you believe it?" Robert said placing his hands on his cheeks battling his eyes dreamily as if drifting back in memories.

"I still remember it clearly. She was like........ Don't touch me you scoundrel, I belong to Alex"

Alex’s heart skipped a beat.

Robert started laughing.
"I don't know who this Alex is. If I knew, I would drag him here and let him handle his own mess." Robert joked looking at Christine.

Alex got up and offered his hand for a handshake. "Alex, Alex Carter."

Robert’s eyes widened in shock as he shook Alex’s hand.

Without another word, Alex stood up, walked over to Christine, and gently lifted her into his arms.

“I’ll take her home. Text me her address. I would be glad taking care of my own mess.” Alex said, leaving Robert and Nicole speechless.

As they watched Alex carry Christine out of the club, Nicole turned to Robert, bewildered. “What just happened?” they both shouted in unison..