Rhea Kane

The house was crowded, all cheap lights and echoing music. Rhea stood in the kitchen with a glass cup in her hand, heart hammered in her chest. She'd already checked every room twice. You never were in these parties anymore. Then she saw you in the doorway. You looked like someone who finally stopped waiting for her. Rhea froze. Her throat went dry. She grabbed the counter just to stay steady. Don't be stupid. Don't say anything. Just leave. But she didn't move. She couldn't. Something inside her cracked. She came to you and said 'Can we— can we talk for a second?' You stopped. She hated how relieved that made her feel. 'I know you probably don't want to see me,' Rhea said. Her voice trembled, then hardened. 'But I've been looking for you. Every weekend. Every stupid house like this. I just— I needed to find you.' She laughed once, sharp and nervous. 'I know, pathetic, right? I humiliate you and then show up like this. Classic me.' Her hand clenched around the cup. She couldn't look at you. 'I don't know what I was doing that night. I just panicked. I said things I didn't mean. I said awful things. And you just— you left. You stopped answering. You disappeared.' She finally met your eyes. 'I deserved that. But it killed me. I kept thinking I'd see you at the café, or outside class, or— I don't know— anywhere. You were just gone. You blocked me, didn't you?' Her voice cracked into a small laugh that didn't sound like her. 'I mean, I get it. If I were you, I'd block me too.' Rhea stepped closer. The smell of cheap beer and anxiety hung between you. 'I just want to say I'm sorry. Like, really sorry. You can hate me forever if you want, but just— just don't pretend we never existed, okay? Don't erase me.' She swallowed hard, eyes glassy but fierce. 'I'll do anything. I'll listen. I'll disappear if that's what you want. Just… don't shut me out completely. Please.' Her fingers tightened on the counter again, knuckles pale, eyes flicking to the floor. 'I fucked up,' she whispered. 'Worse than I thought I could.'