Alex could sense something was off with Renee. Her laughter was louder than usual, her smile stretched too wide to be real. He'd seen that look before—too much bottled up behind a cheerful mask.
He leaned toward Diana and said quietly, "Ask her to take a break."
Diana blinked, surprised. "Why?"
Alex's eyes lingered on Renee, who was already reaching for another beer. "Whenever she's disturbed or has too much on her mind, she drinks beer like it's water and smiles like plastic. Just like now."
Diana followed his gaze, the words sinking in. She'd never noticed those things about Renee—but Alex had. The realization startled her.
Across the table, Rose watched the scene with curious amusement. There was something different about the way Alex looked at Renee, and she couldn't resist stirring the pot. "You know," she said with a teasing grin, "I think Alex and Renee might be next in line for marriage."
The laughter that followed was uneasy. Joey's hand slammed against the table, the sharp sound cutting through the room. His jaw tightened, eyes flashing.
Alex chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension. "Who knows," he said, smirking, "maybe it'll be Diana and Max next." The touch of sarcasm in his tone drew a few reluctant laughs.
"This guy is too funny," Rose said, still smiling. "So, how did you all meet?"
As she began to tell her story with Joey, Renee quietly popped open another can of beer. Alex's eyes darted toward her. After a while, he reached over and gently took it from her hand.
"Enough," he said softly, replacing it with a bottle of water.
Renee looked at him, dazed but compliant, and then let out a half-laugh. Rose cooed playfully. "Aww, too cute—and so caring."
Joey's expression darkened further, the muscles in his neck tightening. He said nothing, but his silence was heavy. Rose, even in her tipsy haze, noticed the shift before anyone else—the flicker of jealousy in Joey's eyes as Alex stayed close to Renee.
Hours slipped by, and the house grew quieter. Renee and Rose were both drunk, their laughter fading into soft murmurs. Max took charge, arranging rooms for the girls while the guys decided to crash in the living area.
As Alex bent down to help lift Renee to her room, Joey stepped forward suddenly, grabbing her by the arm.
"I'll take care of her," he said sharply. His tone left no room for argument. "You drop Rose instead."
For a moment, the air stilled. Alex hesitated, then nodded slowly, watching as Joey led Renee away.
Something unspoken lingered in that silence—something fragile and dangerous, like the first crack in a piece of glass.
Joey led the way down the hall, half guiding, half holding Renee as she stumbled beside him. Her eyes were glassy, her voice slurred, but her smile—soft and unfocused—made his heart race.
"Aww," she murmured, squinting up at him, "too cute."
Joey couldn't help but smile back. His chest tightened; heat crept up his neck. But then she blinked, frowned slightly, and whispered to herself, "No… no, Renee. What are you saying? Joey's going to be your brother-in-law."
The words hit him harder than he expected, and his smile faded almost instantly.
Renee, lost in her haze, giggled again. To her, everything felt like a dream. "Why are you here?" she mumbled. "Why are you coming into my dreams, Joey? You should be with Rose… Why does it feel like this?" Her voice broke softly. "Yesterday, you were so close… and now you feel so far. I don't like this feeling."
She slumped against him, barely awake, whispering, "You know, it's hard… very hard… I want you to say—"
But before the words could leave her lips, Alex appeared at the doorway.
In one swift motion, he stepped in, caught Renee as she wavered, and guided her gently to the bed. He tucked the blanket around her, brushing a stray hair from her face. Then, without saying a word, he turned to Joey, his jaw set.
"Outside," he said coldly.
Joey hesitated, but the look in Alex's eyes wasn't one to argue with. He followed as Alex dragged him out of the room and down the quiet corridor, the air thick with anger and confusion.
When they reached the main road outside the cabin, Alex spun on him. "What the hell is wrong with you, man?" His voice was low but fierce. "Why do you keep confusing her?"
Joey's brows knitted together. "What does it have to do with you?"
Alex's tone sharpened. "Because if you keep this up, Joey—if you keep playing hot and cold—those jokes everyone makes? They might turn into reality."
Joey froze. He knew exactly what Alex meant.
Alex took a step closer. "Do you even realize how long she's been waiting for you? How she's been holding on to the smallest signs from you—every smile, every word? Either make up your mind or let her go. But stop breaking her in the process."
Joey opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His throat tightened as the truth hit him like a punch.
For a long moment, neither said anything. The night air was cold, but Joey barely felt it. Alex's words echoed in his head, each one sharper than the last.
He'd never seen Renee that vulnerable before—and now, for the first time, he wondered if he'd already lost her without realizing it.
Joey didn't sleep that night.
Alex's words replayed in his head until they burned—make up your mind or let her go.
By the time dawn touched the sky, he had already packed his bag. Without telling anyone, he booked a cab and left before Renee even woke. The cold morning air bit at his skin as the car drove , but the chill inside him was worse. He needed to think. To decide. Before everything went too far, before feelings turned into something neither of them could control.
Back at the flat, the early morning was filled with laughter and the clinking of coffee cups—at least on the surface. Helen and Rose were already up, exchanging playful sarcasm that slowly drifted into sharp, teasing roasts.
But beneath Rose's charm, there was something brittle—something possessive. She noticed Renee sitting quietly at the table, her eyes heavy and distant. Rose smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
Without warning, she said to Helen, "You know, no matter what or who stands in my way, I'll make sure Joey and I get married. And the sooner everyone accepts that, the easier it'll be for all of us."
Her words hung in the air like smoke. The room fell silent. Everyone understood who she was really talking to.
Renee looked up, her expression calm but unreadable. She gave a faint smile and said softly, "I'm happy for you, Rose."
Then she stood, gathering her things quietly. Something in her had settled—a cold, quiet decision. She was done chasing ghosts.
Without another word, she left.
When Renee reached home, she barely said a word. The first thing she did was tell her aunt, "You need to talk Renee. It doesn't look good when girls stay around guys too much." Her voice trembled with restraint, her hurt hidden behind practicality.
Before her aunt could respond, she turned away and slammed the door to her room.
Her aunt, startled, followed Renee into the kitchen, demanding, "What's wrong with her? What did you do?"
Renee stopped in the doorway, her back to her mother. "Why would I do anything?" she said quietly, not looking back.
Then she disappeared into her room and shut the world out.
By morning, Joey had made up his mind. The uncertainty that had plagued him for months had turned into a single, heavy truth — it was time to end things clearly, once and for all.
He typed out a message to Rose:
Can we meet? Coffee shop, 11 a.m.
The moment Rose saw the text, her heart leapt. She didn't even pause to think — she shouted in excitement, "He texted me!" Her laughter echoed through Renee's house.
Everyone nearby turned to look as she grinned from ear to ear. "This girl's finally going to get married!" someone joked. The others joined in, laughing and teasing, "God bless him!"
Rose blushed, covered her face shyly, and fled to her room in delight.
But in the quiet corner of the house, Renee sat frozen. The laughter faded into a dull ringing in her ears. Her eyes burned, and before she could stop it, tears began to spill down her cheeks.
At the coffee shop, the air was heavy with silence. Rose arrived first, dressed beautifully, hope glowing in her face. When Joey walked in, her smile widened.
But the look in his eyes made her heart falter.
He sat down slowly, his voice steady but distant. "Why did you do this, Rose?" he asked. "Why are you being this ruthless? Did you forget why we broke up in the first place?"
Rose blinked, taken aback. "Ruthless? Joey, no—"
He cut her off gently. "I'm sorry, Rose. I really am. But this isn't right."
She leaned forward, desperation creeping into her tone. "Joey, please… I realised only you can complete me. What we had—it was beautiful, magical. I couldn't forget you. I was young, stupid, ambitious. I made mistakes. But please, let's give it another chance."
He looked at her for a long time, torn between guilt and exhaustion. "It's not possible, Rose. Things can never be normal again. It's harder than you think."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Then why? Why not even try?"
Joey exhaled. "Because you asked for marriage without even talking to me first. You contacted my father, Rose. Why?"
"Because I knew," she said, voice trembling, "that deep down, you'd been waiting for me too."
"Rose, don't do this," Joey said quietly. "I've moved on. Let's be mature enough to let it go. We can't go back."
"No," she whispered. "No, Joey. We belong together."
He shook his head. "No, we don't."
She stared at him, searching for something in his eyes. Then her voice turned sharp. "Is it because of Renee?"
Joey froze.
Rose let out a bitter laugh and clapped her hands mockingly. "I knew it. That witch always finds a way to snatch everyone away from me."
His jaw tightened. "It's not because of anyone else. It's us, Rose. We had our chance. It's over."
Her smile twisted into something cold. "You think you can just walk away? You think she'll accept you so easily?"
Joey pushed his chair back, standing. "Goodbye, Rose."
She watched him leave, eyes narrowing, her voice a venomous whisper as he stepped out of the café.
"I'll see how she accepts you, Joey. I'm not letting this happen."