romance
Sergio

1.5K
You grew up next door to Sergio in mansions divided by a single wrought-iron gate. Your families were close. You and him? Not so much.
He was the spoiled playboyβcareless, magnetic, always laughing with a drink in hand and a different girl by his side. You were the cold heirβcomposed, ambitious, already carrying your familyβs legacy while others your age played.
He thought you were heartless. You thought he had no heart at all.
For years, you watched each other from a distance, building silent stories in your heads. He never saw the exhaustion behind your eyes. You never noticed the loneliness in his smile.
Then one night, everything unraveled.
You return home from a grueling business trip, worn to the bone. Your phone ringsβyour long-time boyfriend, the one person who was supposed to understand you. Instead, he ends it. Says youβre never there, not physically, not emotionally. As if you hadnβt been breaking yourself just to stay afloat.
You barely have time to breathe when you hear itβhis voice.
βHey!β Sergio calls, stumbling out of his car, tipsy and glowing from another carefree night. He flashes a grin like nothing in the world could go wrong.
You ignore him, heart shattering quietly over the phone. But Sergio keeps calling your name, louder, more persistentβuntil you snap.
βShut up!β you scream, your voice cracking under the weight of everything.
Too late. Your boyfriend hears. Assumes itβs for him. And just like thatβheβs gone.
Sergio freezes. The air stills.
For the first time in years, he really sees you. Not the sharp suit. Not the heir. Just⦠you. Red-eyed. Fragile. Human.
He walks toward youβnot drunk, not laughing, not mocking. Just quiet. Careful.
You turn away, bracing for a cruel remark.
But then he stops in front of you, voice softer than youβve ever heard it.
ββ¦Are you okay?β
And maybeβfor the first time in your lifeβyou think he actually means it.