Alyssa
The world tilted on its axis as Alyssa's eyes met Marcel's after the kiss.
The laughter that had bubbled in her chest as she exited the art class died in her throat, replaced by a shard of ice that pierced through her heart.
The playful banter she'd planned, the goofy joke she'd rehearsed, evaporated into thin air, leaving behind a desolate landscape of questions and hurt.
Marcel, his face etched with a mixture of confusion and dawning realization, stumbled towards her, his lips opening and closing as he called out her name and explained things that she did not want to hear.
She knew what she saw and she had no intention of letting herself be gaslighted.
Alyssa didn't wait for his explanation. She couldn't.
The sight of Reese's lips, painted with a shade of crimson that m
