The apartment was quieter than usual. The kind of quiet that settles after laughter has died and the alcohol has burned warm into the bloodstream. The string lights in the living room cast a golden glow across the floor where two empty beer bottles rolled lazily beside the couch. The fan in the corner hummed a slow rhythm, but neither Jace nor Theo moved. They sat next to each other, shoulders nearly touching, eyes fixed on the screen that had long since gone dark. The final night of summer. Their final night living together. And somehow, that silence between them felt louder than any words ever could.
Jace’s fingers toyed with the hem of his hoodie. His skin was hot beneath it, flushed from too much vodka and too much pretending. He dared not look at Theo, afraid that one glance might sa
