MIDNIGHT SKY.
﹆ . ⁺ . ✦ ﹒₊˚𓂃 ★﹒₊‧
⌞ 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗐𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗒-𝗈𝗇𝖾 .ᐟ ⌝

MESSAGES  |  PRIVATE
╭・␥ 📱 ★﹒active now

participants:
drew starkey   ⤑   future bf
saige halley   ⤑   S ❤️‍🩹

TODAY 4:07 PM

future bf
are you busy?

S ❤️‍🩹
nope
never too busy for you, remember?
;)

future bf
just wanted to double-check
in case you changed your mind about me
:)

S ❤️‍🩹
not a chance

future bf
hmmm, famous last words

S ❤️‍🩹
haha 🙄
wanna hang out?

future bf
yeah, if that's okay with you

S ❤️‍🩹
dude you don't even have to ask

future bf
come over?
i kinda miss your face.

S ❤️‍🩹
oh my god
are you flirting with me, drew starkey?

future bf
maybe
what do you say?
i could teach you how to cook
if you're up for it

S ❤️‍🩹
when you say it like that, it makes
me wanna jump into my car and
zoom through traffic to see u :(

future bf
glad it does :)

S ❤️‍🩹
okay okay stop flirting
i'm omw

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

A faint smile tugged at Drew's lips as he set his phone down, the glow of his screen fading away. He leaned back against the sofa, legs splayed, his head tipped up toward the ceiling as if lost in some distant thought. For the first time in a long while, his chest felt lighter.

The past few days had been... easier.

He'd made a decision—a messy, complicated, not-entirely-certain decision. He would try this thing with Saige. He would push his feelings for Daniela into a corner of his mind, where they couldn't dictate his every thought.

Because surely, it wouldn't hurt just to try.

Saige was always there. For him. Through and through. She'd seen him at his worst, stayed when anyone else might have left. And that mattered. Drew had grown to realize that if she ever walked out of his life, the emptiness she'd leave behind would be unbearable.

Yet, somewhere deep within, Daniela still lingered. She wasn't just a memory; she was a tether to something familiar and bittersweet. Drew and Daniela had history—three years of it. For the longest time, the idea of getting back together with her was what he thought he wanted. What he had wanted.

But now? Things felt different.

Because every time he tried to imagine going back to Daniela, all he could think about was Saige. Saige with her terrible puns and cringeworthy jokes that somehow never failed to make him laugh. Saige, who stuck by him even when his feelings were a storm of contradictions. Saige, who made the world feel less daunting just by being there.

And for the first time, Drew questioned whether he missed Daniela herself—or the comfort of what they'd once had.

That thought gnawed at him as he swept through his apartment, tidying up more than usual, and switching his shirt three times before settling on the first one. He didn't know when it started, but lately, Drew found himself wanting to look... better, for her.

For Saige.

And now, as he collapsed onto the couch and switched on the TV to wait for her, his heart began its usual erratic rhythm. He hadn't seen her since their trip to Hawaii, and tonight would be the first time they were alone since their argument by the pool.

    Since their kiss.

The thought twisted his stomach into knots. Drew's hands felt clammy as he rubbed them against his shorts, stealing quick glances at the door, wondering what she'd say, how she'd look, whether they'd ki—

A knock cut through his spiraling thoughts. His pulse spiked.

He stood too fast, nearly tripping over the edge of the coffee table as he hurried to the door. Putting on a smile, Drew opened it, only to feel the air leave his lungs.

"Daniela?"

His ex-girlfriend stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her expression an unsettling mix of anger and confusion.

"Why are you ignoring my calls and texts?" She demanded, her brows furrowed together.

Drew stared at her, momentarily stunned. "I..."

"Aren't you going to let me in?" Daniela scoffed, brushing past him without waiting for an invitation. "It's not like I've never been here before, Drew."

"That was... before." He muttered weakly, watching as she made herself at home. He shut the door with a soft click, dread pooling in his chest.

His mind immediately jumped to Saige. She was on her way. What would she think if she walked in and saw Daniela here?

He fumbled for his phone, but before he could unlock it, Daniela snatched it off his hands and flung it across the room. It landed on a cushion with a soft thud.

"What the hell, Dani?" Drew snapped, his voice rising.

"Why are you ignoring me?" She shot back, her tone sharp and accusatory.

"I told you I needed space," Drew groaned, pressing his fingers to his temples in frustration. "I needed time to think."

"To think about what?" Daniela scoffed. "I thought you wanted to get back together, Drew. And now, you're just... ignoring me?"

He didn't answer, his head bowing as a heavy silence fell between them. How could he explain to her that she no longer held his heart? Not like she used to.

Daniela's voice broke the silence, this time quieter but no less pointed. "Is it because of her?"

Drew's head shot up. "What?"

"Saige." Daniela's brow arched as she stepped closer. "You're ignoring me because of her, aren't you?"

His jaw tightened. "Don't bring her into this."

"Oh my God," Daniela breathed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You are!"

Drew clenched his fists at his sides, trying to suppress the frustration bubbling to the surface. The truth he'd been avoiding, the one he wasn't ready to say out loud, hung in the air between them. Yes, he had feelings for Saige. And yes, Daniela's time in his heart had passed.

But before he could find the words to say any of that, a second knock echoed through the apartment. Drew's stomach plummeted. He didn't have to open the door to know who it was. He froze, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure Daniela could hear it.

     Daniela stood a few feet behind him, arms crossed, her expression uncertain now rather than sharp. He hesitated before opening the door, but when he did, his breath caught.

     Saige stood there, a takeout bag in one hand and a small bouquet of sunflowers in the other. Her face, beautiful as she was, dropped the moment her eyes landed on Daniela inside the apartment.

    The air between the three of them became thick and suffocating in an instant. As Saige's smile faltered, the bouquet in her hand seemed to droop with it.

     "Oh," she said softly, her fingers tightening around the flowers. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had... company."

"It's not—" Drew started, stepping forward, but Daniela's voice cut through like a blade.

Daniela cleared her throat, stepping forward. "Saige, right?" Her voice was surprisingly calm, not cruel, but the tension in the room was palpable.

Saige blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Yeah... That's me. And you're..."

"Daniela," she said simply, her name hanging in the air like a weight. "I was just talking to Drew here." She looked at him with a small frown.

Saige glanced between the two of them, her shoulders stiffening. "Am I interrupting?"

"No!" Drew said quickly, his voice too loud and desperate. "No, you're not. It's... complicated, but—"

"I didn't picture you as the type to bring flowers to your—" Daniela paused, giving Drew a once-over, "—whatever this is."

Saige blinked, clearly taken aback, as she looked down at the flowers in her hand.

Daniela then turned to Drew, jabbing a finger in his direction. "So, this is the girl you've been ignoring me for?"

"Okay, hold on," Drew interjected. "Nobody's ignoring anyone—"

Saige swallowed the lump in her throat. "I should go..."

Drew turned to her, his heart sinking at the hurt flickering in her eyes. "Saige, it's not—"

"Not what it looks like?" She cut him off, her voice rising. "I think it's exactly what it looks like, Drew." Her eyes held betrayal. Hurt. Pain.

And Drew felt utterly devastated. He ran a hand through his hair, his nerves fraying. "Look, Daniela came here unannounced."

     "Oh, come on." Daniela scoffef as if what he said was the most ridiculous thing ever.

Saige shifted uncomfortably, clearly not thrilled about being in the middle of something she wasn't supposed to hear. "Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving." She said, stepping back toward the door.

"Saige, wait!" Drew reached for her, but she pulled back, shaking her head.

"I can't do this, Drew," she said, her voice trembling. "You said you wanted to try, but clearly, you're not. You've still got one foot stuck in the past, and I'm... I-I just can't."

"You're not my second choice," Drew said desperately, his heart pounding. "You're—"

Saige raised a hand, cutting him off. "I know what you're going to say, and honestly? I wish I could believe it. But right now..." She glanced at Daniela, who looked... a little unimpressed with their exchange. "I can't."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out, the door slamming shut behind her.

Drew stood there, his heart sinking into his stomach as the weight of the moment hit him.

"Well," Daniela said, breaking the silence with a sarcastic lilt. "That went well."

"Please get out." Drew said quietly, his voice shaking.

Daniela blinked. "What?"

"I said, get out." Drew turned to her, his eyes filled with turmoil. "I just... I don't know what I'm doing, but it's over, Dani. It's been over. I need to think and just be alone for now. Please."

Daniela's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Finally, with a sigh, she grabbed her bag and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Drew sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands.

He'd managed to lose both of them in one afternoon.

And honestly? He kind of deserved it.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

Saige hadn't made it far from Drew's apartment before she heard footsteps behind her. She stopped, her throat tight, and turned to see Daniela hurrying after her. Her heart sank.

     Fucking shit.

"Saige," Daniela called, her voice steady but soft.

Saige straightened her shoulders, her grip tightening on the sunflowers. "Daniela... I really don't think—"

"Please," Daniela interrupted, coming to a stop in front of her. She looked almost nervous now, the sharpness from earlier replaced by something more earnest. "Just hear me out. I won't take much of your time."

Saige hesitated but nodded, her expression guarded. "Okay, fine."

Daniela sighed, glancing down at the sidewalk before meeting Saige's eyes. "I know... this is a complicated situation. But I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell you how I truly feel about Drew."

Saige's brow furrowed, her voice cautious. "Okay?"

Daniela took a deep breath. "I want him back, Saige. I made the wrong decision to let him go, but I've realized my mistake now. I know what I want, and it's him."

Saige blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of Daniela's confession. "Daniela, I—"

"Look," Daniela cut in, her voice firm. "I know you and Drew are... together now. Or whatever. I know you've been spending a lot of time together, and maybe you feel like you're connecting. But I'm sorry, Saige. I know Drew. I know him better than anyone, and I know he loves me. He loves me so much that he can't just move on like this."

Saige opened her mouth to speak, but Daniela pressed on, her tone growing more emotional. "We've known each other for almost half our lives. We were together for three years! That's not something you just get over."

"Daniela," Saige said softly, but Daniela wasn't done.

"Please," Daniela said, her voice cracking. "I'm asking you—in the nicest way possible—please. Let him go."

Saige's heart ached at the vulnerability in Daniela's voice, but a part of her felt angry at her please. "This isn't just about me, okay? Drew has a choice, too. And if that's how you feel, maybe you should talk to him instead of asking me to—"

"Come on, Saige," Daniela interrupted, shaking her head. "We both know Drew. We both know he's not going to choose between us. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. But you should know that I'm the love of his life. And I know he still loves me."

Saige stayed silent, her eyes dropping to the bouquet in her hands. Her chest felt heavy, like it was caught in a vise.

Daniela took a small step closer, her voice quieter now. "Think about yourself, Saige. Are you really willing to sacrifice your heart for him? Knowing that... maybe you're just a rebound? I'm not saying say this to hurt you, but... I did love him first."

Saige swallowed hard, her voice calm but firm. "But you gave up on him. And you hurt him."

Daniela flinched, the words hitting her like a blow. "I made a mistake," she whispered. "But I never stopped loving him. I know that now. And that's why I'm asking you—please. Let him go."

Saige's voice was steady, though her hands trembled. "Then let him decide. Because I won't."

Daniela stared at her for a long moment, her expression shifting between frustration and resignation. Finally, she nodded, taking a step back. "I hope you're ready for what happens next."

Saige didn't respond, watching as Daniela turned and walked away, her figure disappearing into the street.

When she was finally alone, Saige let out a shaky breath, her grip loosening on the sunflowers. Her mind was a storm of emotions—hurt, doubt, and a quiet, aching hope.

Drew had a choice to make. But whether he was ready or not, Saige was done waiting for him to make it for her.

GWYN'S NOTE.
ఌ︎
am i evil for this or no? mehehe
vote and comment if ur on saige's side <3