Joey didn't notice when the door opened.
He stood by the window, still as stone, the light from outside cutting across his face.
"Joey."
His father's voice was soft, almost uncertain.
Joey didn't turn around.
"I haven't stepped in here in a long time," his father went on, looking around the room. "It's… different now."
Joey's jaw tensed. "When exactly was the last time you came in here, Dad?"
The old man gave a small, shaky laugh. Words failed him. Then he said quietly, "Son, maybe it's time you start thinking about your family again. Celina would have wanted that."
Joey finally turned, his eyes sharp. "No. Mom would've asked me what I wanted. She never made choices for me."
That stopped his father cold. For a second, neither spoke.
Then it began—short words, clipped and bitter.
They talked over each other. Louder. Meaner. Until it wasn't talking anymore.
Someone outside coughed. A door creaked. Neighbors whispering.
And then—
He almost slapped him but stopped in mid-air,
It was quick, final.
Joey's cheek turned red in anger. He blinked once, twice, then left without a word.
The door slammed so hard the frame rattled.
Upstairs on the terrace, wind pressed against him like punishment.
He sat down, back against the wall, head in his hands. His eyes drifted to the window across the street—Renee's.
Her curtains moved a little in the breeze.
He remembered leaving her mid-sentence the night before. No explanation. Just gone.
The phone buzzed in his pocket.
Max.
Joey let it ring, then picked up. "What? Someone fall from the sky?"
"Yeah," Max said. "Rose."
Joey froze. "You're kidding. Why the hell is she back?"
"I'm downstairs," Max said. "Come on. Let's just go somewhere."
Joey didn't answer. He grabbed his jacket and went down. His steps were uneven, like he wasn't sure where they were taking him.
Max was waiting in the car, engine idling. Joey opened the door and slid in without a word.
Then she appeared—Rose.
She walked out of the house like she'd been waiting for this exact moment.
She waved. "Hey, Max. Been forever. How're you?"
Max blinked, caught off guard. "Was fine till about ten seconds ago," he muttered.
Rose just smiled, brushed it off. "You guys going out? Mind if I come? Need a little air."
Before either could object, she was already in the back seat. "Thanks," she said, settling in like she belonged there.
Joey turned halfway, anger flickering under his voice. "What do you want, Rose?"
She didn't look at him. "Nothing. I'm just bored. Pretend I'm not here."
Max sighed. "We're heading to my place. My girlfriend's there. She might not be comfortable."
Rose leaned forward, grinning. "You have a girlfriend now? Perfect. I'll finally get to meet her. It's been ages."
Joey's knuckles tightened around his knees. Max glanced at him, uneasy.
"Let's just go," Max said, and hit the gas before either of them could say another word.
The car rolled down the street, the silence between them heavy enough to feel.
The car stopped with a soft jolt in front of Max's building.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Max blew out a breath, grabbed the keys, and got out first.
Joey stayed put, fingers drumming against his knee, staring through the windshield like the world outside wasn't real.
Rose sat behind him, arms crossed, her reflection faint in the glass.
Upstairs, a light flickered.
The doorbell rang.
Diana's voice came from the living room. "Did you order something?"
She wiped her hands on a towel, half-distracted, and opened the door.
Her face changed. The color drained.
"Rose?" she whispered.
Rose gave a small, uncertain smile, eyes darting past her shoulder.
Max shifted awkwardly beside her. "Uh… can we come in?"
Diana blinked. "I—uh—no—yes. Sure." She stepped aside, still trying to catch up to what she was seeing.
They entered one by one. The air felt tight, too still.
Joey came in last, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
He didn't notice the second figure standing near the kitchen until a voice broke through the quiet.
"Di? Who was at the—"
Renee stopped mid-step. The glass in her hand nearly slipped.
Her eyes met Rose's.
The silence between them was sharp.
Rose's mouth opened, but no words came. Then—soft, brittle—
"You're kidding me. What are you doing here?"
Max jumped in too quickly, his voice a notch higher than usual.
"Right—okay—so, this is Diana, my girlfriend," he said, half laughing, half panicking. "And her best friend, Renee. And uh—this is Rose. My friend."
Renee's stare didn't move. "I know who she is," she said. Her voice barely a whisper.
"She's my sister."
The room fell apart in quiet.
Max's head snapped toward her. "What?"
Rose looked away.
Joey let out a dry laugh—short, bitter, tired.
He leaned back against the wall, eyes shut for a second, as if the world was playing some private joke just for him.
This day, somehow, still had room to get worse.
Joey caught the flicker of discomfort on Renee's face just as he reached for his jacket. Her fingers tightened around her cup, eyes darting anywhere but at him. Before he could say anything, the doorbell rang.
Diana jumped up, half-relieved for the interruption. "I got it!" she called, padding quickly across the living room.
When she swung open the door, Alex stood there — a can of beer in one hand, a plastic bag of snacks in the other, grin wide and unbothered.
"Party started without me?" he teased.
Diana blinked — surprised but not surprised. "You always have timing," she said, stepping aside to let him in.
The bell rang again.
Max, nearest to the hallway, sighed dramatically and went to open it. "This house is turning into a train station," he muttered.
Standing on the porch was Helen, mid-laugh, like she hadn't expected to stop. "Hey, I was just passing by and— oh!" Her voice caught as her eyes landed on Alex.
"Helen!" Alex froze for a second, then his face broke into an exaggerated smile. "Wow. Helen. Come in, come in!"
Everyone turned. Diana's brow furrowed — Alex's tone carried something between excitement and alarm.
Helen stepped in slowly, taking in the room. Her gaze jumped from Rose to Joey — sitting a little too close — then to Renee, who looked anywhere but at her. The air thinned.
For a long beat, no one spoke.
Then Alex cleared his throat. "Sooo… we're all here now," he said, forcing a grin.
Rose clapped her hands, breaking the tension. "You know what? Let's make it a night. Drinks, music — we can go out later if we feel like it."
Laughter rippled through the awkwardness. The room, suddenly too small for all their histories, began to fill with chatter again — thin, bright, pretending not to notice the cracks underneath.
It was too much for Renee. The air itself felt heavy, pressing against her chest. Her hands fidgeted with the rim of her glass, eyes fixed on nothing. Joey sat across from her, face blank, jaw tight — he didn't need to say a word; she knew he felt it too.
Helen watched them both. Something flickered in her eyes — not pity exactly, but close enough to sting. For once, she almost felt sorry for Renee. Rose might have been the star of every room, but Renee… Renee was real.
Renee pushed her chair back, the scrape sharp and sudden. "There's a shortage of beer," she muttered, already halfway to the door. "I'll go fetch some."
Helen and Diana were on their feet before she could grab her coat. "We'll come," Helen said. No one needed to ask why.
Rose stayed put, her smile sugar-sweet. Joey didn't move either. Max's laughter echoed faintly from the kitchen where he and Alex clattered bottles and pans — a noise too loud, too cheerful for the room they'd left behind.
Outside, the air was colder, quieter. Helen walked ahead, her boots crunching on gravel. "You're dumb," she said finally, not looking back. Her voice was rough, her words sharp — but there was something soft behind them, like a hand held out then pulled back.
Renee didn't answer.
Helen exhaled, slower this time. "Being dumb's better than pretending to be."
Diana caught up to them, slipping between their shadows. She smiled — the kind that tries to patch cracks no one wants to talk about. But the problem was still there, hanging over all three of them, heavy and unspoken.
Rose.
Neither Helen nor Diana could stand her, and Renee — she just didn't know what to feel anymore.
Helen broke the quiet again. "You might not know," she said, "but me and Joey are just friends. I like him, but he doesn't feel the same."
Diana smiled faintly. "I know." Her tone was easy, but her eyes drifted toward Renee, who hadn't spoken since they left.
Diana nudged her arm. "What are you worried about?"
Renee blinked, like waking up mid-dream.
"It's Rose," Diana said at last. "Her sister. She found out Joey agreed to marry her. They all showed up at my place — unannounced. She's not over him."
Diana sighed, the sound thin and tired. "It's a complete mess."
Helen gave a short laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "A real mess. Families involved?"
Diana nodded. "Yeah. Everyone's tangled in it."
Joey slammed open the balcony door. The night air hit him like ice.
Behind him, Rose followed — quiet, hesitant.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
He turned, eyes sharp. "Why now? What are you plotting, Rose? Why are you here?" His voice broke into the quiet like thunder splitting glass.
From the kitchen, Alex and Max froze mid-motion, the crash of bottles stuttering into silence.
Rose stepped closer. Before he could stop her, she wrapped her arms around him.
Joey didn't move. Didn't hug her back. He just stood there, rigid — fury locked behind a still face.
From below, to the girls downstairs, it looked different — like something tender.
Diana groaned. "Not again," she whispered. "Not again."
Then came the knock. Hard. Urgent.
Joey turned — and there stood Renee, eyes wild, face pale under the porch light.
They all started drinking,
The night folded around them — cold, quiet, waiting.
Would they give in to the pull of what fate and others expected — and leave all their feelings shattered?