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

"I know everything happens for a reason, but what the fuck?"

Saige was curled up in the cozy, homely comfort of their apartment, her body sinking into the familiar softness of the couch. Raella and Madison stood over her, their eyes full of rage and frustration, their anger sharp and evident. Saige, though, felt nothing but emptiness.

After walking in on Drew and Daniela in his apartment, followed by Daniela's desperate plea to let Drew go, Saige felt... numb. She had come back to their apartment, hoping to fill the gaping hole in her chest with ice cream and a movie marathon, but no.

The confusion, the humiliation, the hurt, the betrayal—all of it left her hollow, like everything she'd felt the past few weeks had suddenly turned into static. It all felt distorted, wrong. Her mind screamed to cry, to lash out, to demand answers from Drew.

But she couldn't.

She felt utterly empty, as if there were nothing left for her to give out.

"With all due respect—which is none—Drew is full of shit." Raella fumed.

"Don't blame him," Saige mumbled, shaking her head, her hand instinctively pressing against her chest as if trying to soothe the pain there. "It's not his fault."

"Saige, I love you, but please don't defend him," Madison sighed, her voice laced with concern. "He probably knows he was wrong anyway."

"I just don't get it, Bails," Saige mumbled, her voice distant as she stared at the floor. "He said he wanted to see me, told me he missed me, like... like we were already something. But then he's in his apartment with his ex?" She turned to Madison, her eyes wide with confusion and hurt. "I even bought flowers and takeout. I thought—"

Raella's expression softened when she saw the look on Saige's face. She let out a long, heavy sigh, stepping closer to where Saige sat.

"Am I really that daft for not seeing right through him?" Saige croaked, her voice breaking slightly. Then, she sighed. "It's my fault, anyway. I let myself believe we could have had something more. Something real."

Raella and Madison exchanged a glance—pity, sympathy—but neither could find the right words to ease the pain in Saige's eyes.

     They had something undeniable, something real. Everyone saw it—hell, everyone felt it—except Drew and Saige.

A few hours later, Saige knew she couldn't stay in the apartment. It felt suffocating. She needed space, air. The room was too small, too tight around her chest. Without a word, she stood from the couch and grabbed her keys off the coffee table.

"I'm heading out for a while."

"Uh, no... you're not allowed to go out in this state." Raella said firmly, crossing her arms.

"We'll come with you?" Madison offered, her voice uncertain but caring.

"I just need to be alone right now," Saige breathed out, putting a hand over her chest. Again. "I'll be careful, and I'll be back before morning, I promise."

The room fell silent, the weight of Saige's words lingering in the air. Raella and Madison exchanged a look, both reluctant to let her go—especially not alone. But Saige's posture told them everything they needed to know. She was holding herself together by a thread, and she needed space, even if it tore her apart. After a long moment of hesitation, they nodded, their faces a mixture of concern and understanding.

"Okay," Raella said quietly, her voice thick with unspoken worry.

Madison offered a soft smile, though it was strained. "We'll be here when you get back. Update us, okay?"

"I will," Saige smiled weakly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She walked over to them, pulling them into a tight embrace. "I love you guys. I just... need air."

As Saige drove aimlessly through the streets of NYC, she didn't have a destination in mind. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, her heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. She found herself stopping in front of a nondescript building, the same one Drew had taken her to the first night they hung out. The rooftop.

She scoffed bitterly, remembering the reason he had bailed on her that day—the soup lunch. He had gone to see Daniela. She shook her head. How stupid could she be? Believing Drew could look at her the way he looked at Daniela.

Without thinking, she climbed the steps to the rooftop, stepping out into the cool night air. The city lights stretched out before her, distant and cold. This place was so full of Drew. Full of them. They had shared moments here—moments that had once felt so real, so undeniable.

But now it felt empty.

She didn't know why she was here. Her feet had brought her back, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be anywhere that held his presence, his memory. It only made the ache sharper. But for some reason, she couldn't leave. Not yet.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block the tears threatening to fall.

And when she flutters her eyelids open, all there is to see is the midnight sky—vast and cold. She could feel his absence like a gaping wound, his warmth withering. His presence that once lingered now gone as if it had never been. It was then and there, that she let the tears slip from her eye, her chest tightening as the oh so familiar sensation of pain and agony permeates within her.

She couldn't hold onto him any longer.

And she wished it didn't hurt as much as it did. After all, she'd seen it coming. She knew it would happen, one way or another. And she let herself get hurt over something she knew was inevitable.

But, knowing didn't make it hurt any less. It only made her wonder why she let it continue for this long, why she hoped, when the ending was already written.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

TODAY 11:49 PM
saige, please, let me explain.
please, talk to me.
i can't lose you.
please.

12:07 AM
future bf is calling...

Saige stares at the screen, her chest tight. Her fingers hover over the buttons; contemplating. Should she hear him out? Would it be worth it? She could practically feel her heart pounding in her ears as she hits "Decline". No. Enough was enough.

CALL DECLINED

12:15 AM
future bf is calling...

The phone rings again. But she can't bring herself to answer. She feels hurt. Too much pain settled in her chest. It felt tight. The same sense of panic, the same dread fills her. She declines once more. Her stomach churns.

CALL DECLINED

12:25 AM
future bf is calling...

Saige's finger tremble as she watches the call come through once more. His caller ID brought a shiver to her spine. Another tear fell, and she hastily wipes it away. This time, she doesn't hesitate as she hits "Decline" without looking, feeling the weight of it settle deep inside her.

CALL DECLINED

VOICEMAIL:
"What's up, sunny-side up! You've reached Saige! Obviously, I'm not available so take a hint and just leave a message after the beep... Beep! JK, okay, bye!"

Beep.

Drew's voice is raw, filled with emotion.
"Saige... hey, baby. Please, I don't know what to say. I fucked up. I know I did. But I need you to know this, more than anything—I'm so... fucking sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I wasn't expecting Dani at all. I just... I-I don't know why it feels like I'm losing everything. I don't know how to fix it."

He pauses, a shaky breath sounding through the voicemail.
"Please... talk to me. Just hear me out. I... I can't lose you, too. Please call me back, or at least text me, Saige. I just... I just need you to talk to me, okay?"

The voicemail cuts off, leaving a long, echoing silence.

Do you want to block this caller ID?
YES              NO