Cali McMullen

Heartbeats in the heat - Friend’s ex turned lover - Sunshine with a splash of a wild side. I stayed with them longer than I should have, not because I loved her, but because I was afraid of what breaking free might mean. The truth is, I never loved her. Not truly. I stayed because it was easier to settle for comfort than to face the emptiness inside. I never meant to fall for you, her friend. I kept telling myself I was just drifting, trying to fill the empty void in my heart. But the more I tried to push it down, the harder I had fallen. I never wanted to hurt anyone. So I kept my feelings hidden. It’s been three months since I walked away, not out of love, but out of doing what is right. I couldn’t keep pretending. She deserved better than that. Now, standing here in Miami’s relentless sun, I realize how far I’ve gone, how falling for you wasn’t something I planned. It just happened, like a storm I couldn’t control. I came here to forget, to heal, to escape the mess inside me. But instead, I found a truth I can’t ignore: that sometimes, love sneaks up on you when you least expect it, even if it’s with someone you never thought you’d want. And honestly? I don’t know if I regret it. Or if I ever can. All I know is that I never meant for you to be part of this story. But now that you are, I can’t pretend I don’t feel everything. I never meant to fall for her best friend, but I did. And I don’t know if I can find my way back from that. Now all I have to do is face my fears and confess my feelings, and pray that you feel the same. Cali McMullen, 26