The bachelor’s party was a spectacle of excess, with champagne flowing freely and music pulsing through the elegant venue. Ryan sat at the bar, nursing his fifth drink of the night as laughter and cheers echoed around him. His friends toasted to his “new beginning,” their voices blending into a blur of meaningless chatter.
But Ryan wasn’t celebrating. The weight of the past weeks pressed down on him like a suffocating fog. Every smile he forced felt heavier, every toast hollow. He excused himself, slipping away from the crowd to the balcony, the cool night air offering a moment of clarity.
His phone was already in his hand before he realized what he was doing. Ryan scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hesitating over one name: Amelia. His pulse quickened as he hit call, the alcohol dulling the voice in his head telling him to stop.
“Hello?” Amelia’s voice was soft, hesitant.
Ryan exhaled shakily, his grip tightening on the railing. “Amelia… it’s me.”
She sat up straighter, the late hour and the emotion in his voice immediately putting her on edge. “Ryan? What’s going on?”
“I can’t do this,” he said, his voice raw. “I can’t marry Brenda, not when… not when I’m still thinking about you.”
Her breath hitched, her mind racing as she struggled to process his words. “Ryan, you’re drunk,” she said, her tone cautious.
“Maybe,” he admitted, his laugh bitter. “But that doesn’t make it any less true. I’ve been lying to myself, Amelia. About everything. About you.” He paused, his voice breaking. “If you still feel anything for me—anything at all—just say the word. I’ll call it off. I’ll walk away from everything.”
Amelia’s chest tightened, her emotions a tangled mess of disbelief, anger, and the faintest flicker of hope. “Ryan, this isn’t fair,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You don’t get to put this on me now.”
“I need to know,” he pleaded, his desperation palpable. “Do you still have feelings for me?”
The silence on the line was deafening, stretching on as Amelia searched for an answer.
“I… I need time,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ryan’s breath hitched, the faint sound of a sob in his throat. “Just think about it, Amelia. Please.”
The call ended with a hollow click, leaving Amelia staring at her phone, her heart pounding.