#and the angst about Karen nearly dying and I'm just !!!

[to-thelakes]

nothing but a pass time (lip gallagher x reader)

content warning(s); underage smoking, mentions of underage drinking, sad!lip, comfort, hints of angst (unrequited love)

summary; the summer had come around but you and lip were always the same. except it was harder to ignore your brewing feelings now.

series masterlist

i have edited and read this part over so many times that i feel like i'm not actually making it better anymore, so here it is! more of my babies, the next few parts are gonna get a little angst-heavy from both lip and reader's side but then i think it's gonna settle a bit and hopefully get a little better, i have the next three parts all partly/fully written and they're sad but also sweet (comfort is real and lip NEEDS iT, this poor man), so anyway, here's the new part hehe

“My dad would kill you if he found us,” You said as you rounded the corner with Lip. He had texted you, asking you to come and meet him. You didn’t mind. You’d been dying to see him after a too-long shift at the store. You had been there all day, sweating and dealing with shitty customers, and that one text was enough for you to be filled with a familiar sense of glee. 

You didn’t need a reason to see Lip, you never had but something about him asking to see you made you giddy. That text was enough to have you halfway out the door in minutes, changed, showered and beaming.

Though, that had always been the case.

The cigarette between your lips was new though. You had never been one for smoking but Lip had somehow gotten you into it. You only smoked with him though.

“They still think we’re dating?” Lip asked as you stopped by one of the pillars that held the El tracks up. The train only came every twenty minutes or so this late at night. So it was peaceful, quiet and you could smoke without being disturbed.

You were the one to plop yourself down first, feet aching from being on them all day. Working nearly a 10 hour shift was not for the weak and you were wondering why you’d bothered to do it to yourself.

“I dunno,” You shrugged as you took a drag of the cigarette Lip had handed to you. He sat down beside you, head resting back against the concrete. You let the smoke fill your lungs before you breathed it out into the night air. It was cooler than it had been all day, you didn’t feel like the air was suffocating you, just the cigarette, “Hard to tell with them at the moment,” You shrugged, the hint of something more beneath those words but neither of you dug into it. Lip simply nodded and you offered the cigarette back. He took it from between your two fingers and took a long drag.

He looked sad. You assumed that’s why he had even bothered you this late. He knew you’d been working all day and he had always used it as an excuse to keep to himself. But tonight, he seemed to want to see you. You were never going to deny him.

You hadn’t ever denied him anything.

You watched as he blew the smoke out through his nose and you leaned closer, resting your head on his shoulder. He briefly tensed up before relaxing. 

He had gotten so jumpy recently. 

You tried to ignore it.

“What’s up?” You asked after a moment of silence. He offered the cigarette to you but you waved him off. You could feel the nicotine buzzing through your system, not used to the high after nearly a week of not seeing Lip.

“Karen’s got this guy,” Lip said after a moment of silent contemplation, “Jody. Some fuckin’ asshole twice her age,” He explained, waving his free hand out. He then put the cigarette between his lips, breathing in the smoke and speaking as he exhaled, “Hasn’t even fucked her. She says it’s some Sex Addicts Anonymous shit. I don’t get it,” Lip said as he choked slightly on the smoke. You should have known this is where the conversation would go so you simply reached your hand out for the cig.

Lip passed it over without question.

Part of him hated himself for corrupting you. You had never touched a drop of alcohol until he convinced you otherwise. And you had resisted smoking cigarettes until one night a few months back at a party with him. 

You had been pretty drunk at that party and he had casually offered his cigarette to you. He hadn’t thought much of it, expecting you to shake your head and tell him to ‘fuck off’ as you always did. Instead, you had taken it from his fingers, taken a drag and coughed on the smoke. 

But that didn’t stop you from taking another drag.

Now every time he watched the smoke curl out from between your lips, he felt bad. Like he had doomed you to some horrible fate.

“And she said that they’re together and just sit under the stars and talk and shit. I mean, who does that?” He asked. You tried to bite back the reply that that’s exactly what the two of you did but you kept your mouth shut, “We’re teenagers. We’re meant to be fucking each other and doing stupid shit. Not- not watching cartoons and fucking cooking together. It’s- it’s just bullshit,” Lip was frustrated. You could tell and you couldn’t blame him. Not really.

Part of you just felt sorry for him. You knew that he had fallen for Karen but she never really shared those feelings. At least, not that you could tell. She liked him and she liked to fuck him but you were never sure if it was more.

Another part of you was happy she was fucking with Lip’s head. Maybe it made you spiteful but you wanted him to understand how it felt to have someone always keep you at arm’s length.

You tried not to think about that though. 

You were his friend. 

You were there to help him, not celebrate his pain.

“Are you still fucking her?” You asked after a moment. You weren’t entirely sure how to make Lip feel better. You weren’t well-versed in this shit.

He nodded.

“Yeah but it’s this guy. He’s a fucking asshole,” Lip bit back, cigarette hanging from his lips. You rolled your eyes and took the cigarette from between his lips to take a puff yourself. You stayed quiet for a minute, not sure what to say.

“At least you still get to fuck her,” You responded, trying to see the bright side. You wanted to make him feel better, “Clearly if they aren’t even fucking, it doesn’t mean that much. So, give it a few months and she’ll be past him.” The words felt heavy on your tongue, trying to ignore the truth in what you were saying.

Lip had never fucked you and you had always been nothing but a pass-time for him. A friend to cry to and seek comfort from but nothing more. You knew that you didn’t mean that much to Lip. Not as much as Karen anyway.

“Yeah, maybe,” Lip said as he glanced down to watch you blow the smoke from between your lips. You tapped the edge of the cigarette on your thigh, ashes flying through the air just as an El train passed overhead.

It was deafening but the noise gave you some solace. You hadn’t noticed Lip looking at you and so you let yourself feel the heaviness. It was just for a moment and then you put your guard back up.

But for a moment, you let yourself frown. Let yourself feel sad. Feel lonely. Feel fucking stupid.

Then you were back to normal.

Once the train had passed, you spoke again.

“The way I see it, he’s either gonna break up with her or they’re gonna fuck. Either way, she’ll come back to you,” You decided after a moment. You weren’t sure if it was true. You had no experience with relationships. You’d only ever kissed people drunk at parties so you were talking out your ass.

But Lip just hummed along and took the cigarette from between your fingers. He took another drag and then smushed the butt of it against the grass, putting it out.

“Everything okay with you?” Lip asked after a beat of silence. Your head lifted from his shoulder, eyebrows furrowed. You couldn’t remember the last time he’d asked if you were okay. Usually, you told him anyway but he never asked.

“Yeah, why?” You responded, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He shrugged, meeting your gaze. Your eyes were boring into him and he felt guilty seeing the confusion. The way your eyebrows furrowed at his question as if you weren’t his best friend. As if he didn’t care about you.

“Y’just seem tired, that’s all,” He responded, shrugging. He was trying not to be defensive but it was hard not to be.

“Had a long day, it’s fine,” You retorted as you reached into the top pocket of his shirt. You didn’t ask before you grabbed the pack of cigarettes. Instead, you just plucked a stick out and grabbed his lighter. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked. You looked up at him, a teasing smile on your lips.

“Bumming a smoke,” You stated before you placed the cigarette between your lips. You used your hand to shelter the end of the cig before flicking the lighter on. The bright flame illuminated your face, eyes shining in the light. It was there for a split second before you had successfully lit the cigarette.

“You been smokin’ with someone else?” He asked. You scoffed, dropping the cigarette pack and lighter back into his pocket before you took a drag.

“Fuck off, as if,” You dead-panned as you exhaled. You then took another drag, leaving the cigarette hanging off your lips as you blew the smoke out of your nose. It was Lip’s turn to take the cigarette from your lips now. He made eye contact with you as he took it, placing it between his own.

Fuck. You hated when he did shit like that.

The way he looked at you like he really gave a shit.

You tried not to think about it.

“Good,” He said before he took his own drag. You two sat in silence like that for a while, sharing the cigarette. You knew it was bad for you. You had told yourself you’d never be a smoker but the summer was long and being around Lip was painful. The nicotine made it easier to deal with.

So you just smoked until Lip - once again - put it out in the dirt. He then just stared, another El train passing overhead. You were both quiet for a moment before you sighed. You needed to go home.

“Got work tomorrow,” You muttered after a beat. It was you saying you needed to leave without really saying it at all. But you did, you needed to get out of here.

“Stay at mine tonight?” He asked. You shook your head.

“Gotta leave early, starting at 6. Would just wake you up. You’re grumpy that early,” You stated as you looked up at him. He frowned. You didn’t know what else to say to him and so you just looked at each other for a moment.

“Want you to stay over,” He mumbled, looking away. You ran your hands across your face, wondering if you were really gonna let this happen. But you already knew the answer the second he had asked the question.

“Let me grab my shit,” You gave in. Lip couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face. It felt like a victory, a small victory. 

[takaraphoenix]

I know once upon a time, you watched 9-1-1. Do you still keep up with it or did your interest in it die? I'm asking because I haven't seen you post or reblog anything about it recently but was curious if you've seen the news about it.

Due to the writer's strike, the break between seasons was so long, I decided to rewatch the last season first before starting the current season!

But yes, I'm still very much watching, I love that show. Rare for me to love canon pairings and I adore Bobby/Athena and Karen/Hen, so this show would have to fundamentally fuck up for me to drop it! (Still sad about Michael being written out, though I understand the IRL reasoning.)

I have seen the news about it though, or I think I know what you're referring to, at least, and I'm... already exhausted because the way I learned about it, of course, was by shippers treating this as Step One to getting their ship be canon. And I think that canon queer rep should be celebrated about being canon queer rep and not be used as stepping stones to get your non-canon ships canon. So that's, I don't know, disappointing behavior.

Can't attest to how well it was handled though because I haven't seen it yet. I hope it's actually handled. I hope there is actual... consideration. The character considering his sexuality, I mean. We so rarely get self-finding stories when it comes to queerness, too often we're just the side-characters who are already fully in their identity when they step onto our screen and considering that he has never shown any interest in men before, a retcon of "yeah no he's been bi all along" would be wild. Which, also, I hope that consideration of his sexuality leads to explicit labeling, something that's also too often hand-waved and you get to guess the sexuality by what partners a character is shown with.

So, yeah! Once I finish my rewatch, I'll get onto the current season and see how they handled it for myself and see if I like how they handled it. If I do, you can expect a delighted rant here. If I don't... well, I hope I do.

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part five: "The Wedding Day"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: It's finally the day of Foggy and Marci's wedding and you're one of the bridesmaids.

Or

You admire how handsome Matt looks in his tux while feeling sick to your stomach as a pretty bridesmaid flirts with him all day.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 3.2k

a/n: Okay, I lied, I got another one up on tumblr. Y'all, there are so many of these. For real. I feel like putting up 74 of them is going to be a bigger task than I thought. Anyway, this wedding day saga spans like three installments. You can find the list of installments that are on tumblr here. "The Wedding Night" seems to be the most loved installment on AO3 so I'm trying to get that one up next!

You took a sip of your mimosa, eyes glued to Marci in the large mirror as the hair stylist finished pinning back the blonde curls on her head while the makeup artist finished touching up her lipstick. She looked absolutely stunning–not that she didn’t always–and you and the five other bridesmaids had been dying to see her finally fully dressed in her wedding dress.

"How was dealing with the hotel mishap last night?" Karen asked you, leaning in on the couch beside you to whisper. 

You sighed, frowning down at the mimosa in your hands. Last night when you had arrived before the rehearsal dinner to check in with Matt and Karen, you'd found out that the rooms blocked out for you and Matt were adjoining rooms. Which for some reason had made you utterly nervous knowing there was only a single locked door between you and Matt for the two nights you'd be staying here. 

And it shouldn't have made any difference. It was just one locked door. Which had remained locked last night. But somehow knowing Matt was just beyond that door had made you stare at it more than you should have been staring at it last night. But the comments from one of Foggy's cousins to Matt during dinner last night about you needing ear plugs after the wedding, implying beforehand that Matt would be hooking up with someone–a perk of being in the bridal party he had joked–had only upset you further. You'd been anxiously dreading tonight, terrified you'd have to overhear Matt having sex with someone else just in the room next door. You were pretty sure that would kill you.

"It was fine," you lied. 

Karen rolled her eyes. "So naturally you're freaking out?"

You shrugged before bringing the glass to your lips, taking a sip. "I just don't want to hear his activities tonight," you mumbled.

Karen shot you a pointed look. "You know he's not going to do that tonight, right?" she asked you. "How many times do I have to tell you he's into you before it gets through?"

You sighed, shaking your head. "We're just friends, Karen," you said. 

She leaned in closer to you, her voice dropping even lower as she whispered, "But you're one of the few he's told his secret to."

"Yeah," you responded, talking out of the side of your mouth as you whispered back, "only because I'd nearly gotten myself killed looking too far into a story and he showed up to save me. It was sheerly because I have embarrassingly memorized his mouth, jaw, and voice that I'd figured it out myself. He didn't actually tell me."

Karen opened her mouth to say more, but was quickly cut off as Marci’s cousin Rosalie turned her attention on the pair of you. 

"What are you two whispering about over there?" she asked curiously, drawing the attention of everyone in the room to you both.

"It's about Matt, isn't it?" Marci called out, her knowing eyes on you in the mirror.

You felt your cheeks burn hot as your right hand fidgeted with the hem of your robe–sage green, matching each of the other bridesmaids and the same color as the dress you'd be wearing later.

"Did something finally happen?" she pressed you, her eyes widening.

"No," you answered her quickly. "Nothing happened. We're just friends, Marci, you know that."

Allison, a pretty brunette who had been friends with Marci since law school, let out an audible sigh of relief from where she was sitting in an armchair across from you. Your eyes immediately darted to her and she smiled.

"I was totally thinking you and him were together at the rehearsal last night," she explained quickly. "I had a thing for him back in law school but was too afraid to make a move. Now that I know he's available though…" she trailed off, a sly grin on her face as the girls in the room besides Marci and Karen squealed.

Your eyes landed back down on your drink, cheeks further reddening as you tried to ignore the sympathetic looks Karen and Marci were both giving you. Of course there’d be a gorgeous bridesmaid chasing after Matt all day today. Could you have expected anything less?

You followed the line of bridesmaids down the hall, the loud clattering of multiple sets of high heels echoing with each step. Foggy's laugh was unmistakable as he stood surrounded by his groomsmen all waiting for guests to finish filling into the church before the ceremony began. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight knowing how long he’d been waiting for this day. 

And then your eyes instantly found their way straight to Matt in the hallway as if drawn by an unseeable force. He was gripping his cane in one hand and smiling beneath the dark glasses currently on his face. He looked handsome with his hair slightly gelled to keep it neat–probably Foggy's doing, you thought–and his black tuxedo and black bow tie. Despite Matt matching the five other groomsmen in the same outfit, it looked infinitely better on his muscled body and your heart beat just a bit faster at the sight. With a shuddering inhale beside Karen, you tried to will the traitorous organ to relax before Matt could pick up on it. For now, if he was even paying attention, he'd surely assume it was nerves. He knew you had been anxious about having to be in front of so many people today, even if you weren't remotely the person of interest. 

As if Karen knew who you were thinking about as the pair of you headed over, she gestured her head at Matt before grinning and wagging her eyebrows at you. 'Make a move' she mouthed wordlessly. Your eyes widened, heart speeding up just a bit faster. Vigorously you shook your head 'no' in reply. 

And then you heard Allison's voice complimenting him loudly. The sound drew your attention and your heart felt like it was constricting at the sight before you. He was smiling charmingly back at her and indulging in her small talk. Your hands gripped the bouquet of white peonies and garden roses just a bit tighter.

"He won't wait around forever," Karen whispered into your ear.

A heavy weight fell around your shoulders as you plastered on a smile, turning and chatting with the bridal party around you for the next ten minutes as everyone waited for the start of the ceremony. Your eyes occasionally lingered on the way Allison's hand would find moments to reach out and grab onto Matt's forearm or shoulder. Your stomach twisted unpleasantly each time. You were grateful when the wedding coordinator for the church ushered everyone to finally pair up and line up for the processional. With a sigh and a horde of butterflies in your stomach, you headed over towards Matt.

"Hey," you greeted him with a tight smile, placing a hand nervously on his shoulder.

He said your name and you felt your heart flutter wildly in your chest. "Was wondering when you'd come say hi," he teased.

"I didn't want to intrude," you replied. "You ready?"

He smiled back at you, his mouth spreading into a cheeky smile. "I'm not the one getting married today," he joked, folding up his cane.

You laughed, rolling your eyes. "I meant to line up," you told him.

His smile never faltered as he offered you his arm. You licked your lips nervously before looping your arm through his, your hand grasping his firm bicep. 

God, he has amazing arms.

After he placed his cane on a nearby table, not needing it for the ceremony since you would be walking him in and out, you silently led him in line to where you'd been situated at the rehearsal last night. Karen looked over her shoulder from her place in front of you both, shooting you a wink that only further caused your cheeks to burn.

You felt Matt fidgeting beside you and you glanced over, spotting him removing his dark glasses one-handed. He slid them into an inside jacket pocket, smoothing a hand over it and frowning lightly for a moment. You knew he felt uncomfortable without his glasses in front of large gatherings of people, but you also knew Foggy had asked him if he would be alright having them off for the sake of photos for the important parts of the day and that Matt had happily agreed.  

You leaned over towards Matt, lightly squeezing his arm. "You look handsome, Matt," you assured him softly, hating that he even worried about how people reacted to his unfixed stare. "Don't worry."

His head turned, his sightless gaze falling fondly back on you, landing at your collarbone. A warm smile spread across his face now, his eyes crinkling at the corners. You felt your heart involuntarily stutter in your chest when he whispered back, “And I’m sure you look beautiful. No need to be so nervous.”

You ducked your head, some of your curled hair that wasn’t pinned back curtained your face at the movement. “You know I’m always nervous,” you muttered. But then you sighed, raising your head and squaring your shoulders as the processional music began. “But you’re right, no one’s going to be paying attention to me today.”

“Well I wouldn’t go that far,” he whispered back.

You didn’t respond, your eyes watching as Foggy walked his mom down the aisle to her seat, giving her a teary eyed hug before he took his place at the front of the church. And then Foggy’s brother Theo walked out with his arm linked with Rosalie’s and the line at the church entrance shuffled a few inches forward. You and Matt took two steps closer and you felt your palm lightly sweating along the stem of the bouquet as nerves swirled inside of your stomach. There were easily more than a hundred people seated in the pews staring at each couple as they walked in. Suddenly you felt a little unsteady in your heels as Karen and one of Foggy’s cousins now stood at the entrance to the church.

“Relax,” Matt’s voice came from just beside your ear. His warm breath blew over your neck as he spoke, goosebumps lightly dotting your forearms. “I won’t let you trip.”

Your hand gripped his arm a little tighter at his words as Karen and Foggy’s cousin made their way down the aisle next. You shuffled Matt and yourself to the edge of the church entrance. 

“Thanks, Matty,” you whispered back, your eyes on Karen as she gracefully strode down the aisle. “You know I’m like Bambi in heels.” 

“Just smile and focus on me,” he told you. “I’ll be right beside you.”

You glanced at Matt next to you for just one moment, taking in the sight of him smiling back at you. He looked heartbreakingly handsome and your heart squirmed inside of your chest. And then your gaze swept back to the aisle in front of you that somehow seemed vastly longer than when you’d practiced walking down it with Matt last night.

“We’re up,” you whispered to him.

You both stepped forward, slowly making your way down the aisle to the soft music the string quartet was playing. You kept your gaze focused ahead, smiling wide and paying attention to the comforting warmth of Matt along the right side of you. When you neared the front of the church you shot Foggy a grin, then turned to the right with Matt, guiding him up to stand on the step next to the groomsmen already there. Quickly you turned, making your way back towards the opposite side where the bridesmaids were standing and took your place. You exhaled a slow breath, trying to calm your nerves as the next couple began their way down the aisle. Minutes later Allison and the groomsmen she was paired with made their way down the aisle and the doors to the church were closed behind them. Your eyes darted over to Foggy where he was nervously fidgeting and shifting his weight back and forth on his feet. 

Shortly after the last couple had taken their place, the doors opened and Marci stepped out, her arm linked with her father’s. Everyone rose from the pews as she made her way down and you felt your eyes watering watching the emotion on her and Foggy’s face as they stared back at each other. For a brief moment your eyes slid their way across the church and landed on Matt; his gaze was focused somewhere around Foggy, a big smile on his face. Your heart sped up a little, taking a moment to appreciate the sight of Matt dressed like he was as he stood at the front of the church. You saw his eyes slowly shift towards you and you momentarily ceased breathing all together as your gaze quickly shifted back to Foggy and Marci. You could feel your face burning as you watched Marci’s father place her hand in Foggy’s.

The rest of the wedding ceremony was beautiful and you’d cried with Karen through the entirety of it, managing to laugh a little during some parts of the vows they’d written for each other. Foggy had pumped his fist in the air as him and Marci made their way back down the aisle as the recessional began. The pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen began meeting up in the center and exiting the church together. When Karen began her walk back down with Foggy’s cousin, you made your way over towards Matt, his gaze already finding you before you’d said anything.

“Back already?” he teased you lightly.

You reached out, linking your arm through his offered one with a smile on your face. “You say that like you didn’t miss me, Murdock,” you teased back.

You both began making your way down the aisle with you leading Matt. After only a few steps you felt him lean in beside your ear.

“I did,” he whispered.

Heat rose to your cheeks, your smile widening a little more nervously as you walked. Not knowing how to respond to Matt’s usual teasing flirtation, you kept your mouth closed. Once out of the church, you led him back towards the table where he’d left his cane, reaching out a hand and grabbing it for him. 

“Thank you,” he said when you’d passed it to him.

You reluctantly unlinked your arm from his, fidgeting awkwardly with the bouquet in your hands. Matt slid his glasses out of his pocket, slipping them back on before he began to unfold his cane. He shot you a quick smile as he did.

“See? Wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked.

You swallowed hard, the corner of your mouth twisting up ever so gently. “No,” you answered. “It wasn’t. Thanks for not letting me fall.”

He opened his mouth to say more, but Allison appeared beside the both of you. She placed a hand on Matt’s arm and greeted him before shooting you a friendly smile. You returned the smile, your heart aching as you turned and headed over to Foggy and Marci to offer them your congratulations as Allison began chatting with Matt behind you.

The past few hours had gone by in a blur after the ceremony. The bridal party had gone with Foggy and Marci for a while to take photos with their photographer after the newlyweds had gotten their family photos taken in the church. And then everyone had headed back for the beginning of the reception. You and Matt had walked in arm in arm to the reception, Matt spinning you on the center of the dance floor while you laughed before you led him up to his seat at the head table and then took your seat by the other bridesmaids. Dinner had passed quickly after the toasts and then you’d teared up watching Foggy and Marci’s first dance. Shortly after Marci had danced with her father and Foggy had danced with his mother, the dance floor had opened up.

You’d ended up with Karen by the open bar, downing a few cocktails before heading out onto the dancefloor for a bit. Eventually Marci had come out and the three of you had danced to a few songs, drinks in hand while loudly singing to the music. 

“We should do shots!” Marci abruptly exclaimed over the loud music.

“Marci, you sure you can even handle more to drink?” Karen asked her, brows raised.

Marci shot her a flat look which had you laughing. “I’m the bride, you’re not supposed to say no to me today, remember?” she told Karen.

“Good enough for me,” you announced.

Marci beamed, grabbing both your’s and Karen’s wrists and then dragging you both to the bar with her. As you swerved through the crowd, your eyes scanned the guests. Eventually they landed on who you were looking for. 

Matt was sitting at a table with Allison, his arm over the back of his chair, his suit coat long abandoned on the back of his chair at the head table. He looked comfortable as he talked animatedly and Allison was leaning forward, her chin resting on her hand as she laughed at whatever he was saying. You felt a little tug in your chest at the sight, your gaze darting away.

Marci asked the bartender for the drinks as you situated yourself against the counter, resting an arm along it. Your eyes were focused on the man pouring the shots, watching as he slid the three glasses forward when he had finished. The three of you each picked up a glass, raising it high.

“To you and Foggy,” you said.

“And to a long, happy marriage,” Karen added.

“And hopefully great sex tonight,” Marci blurted, knocking her glass into your's and Karen’s.

You and Karen exchanged a look and laughed before the three of you downed the alcohol. It burned as it went down. You set the glass back, your eyes unintentionally finding their way back to Matt and Allison. You couldn’t fight the way your mouth curved downwards at the sight of them still smiling and chatting at the table together. You felt Marci nudge you with her elbow and your eyes darted towards her.

“You should say something,” she told you. “Cut in. Something .”

You shook your head, your sad gaze falling on the pair again. “No,” you answered slowly, sighing. “We’re just friends, Marc. Besides, he looks like he’s having fun.”

“I also am of the mind that you should go talk to him,” Karen said. “For what it’s worth, he might just be being polite.”

You shook your head, forcing a smile onto your face. “I think I’m actually just going to step outside for a minute and get some fresh air. It’s getting pretty warm in here.”

You didn’t wait for them to respond, pushing away from the bar and maneuvering your way around the crowd and the tables. You desperately needed air and a minute to get away and clear your head.