So when Laura first promised she'd look after Jeffrey for me outside of school, I felt nothing but gratitude.
They started having more and more in common.
At first, I stood between them, arms linked with both, laughing as I brought them closer together.
Later, they were the ones with their arms around each other, joking like old buddies, while I stood off to the side with a smile.
Unable to get a word in.
Then came that New Year's Eve. Jeffrey was in low spirits—his business had hit a rough patch.
I gathered a big group of his friends and organized a party.
As the countdown began, I finally saw a hint of relief break through on his face.
"...Three, two, one—zero!"
The moment the fireworks exploded, my smiling eyes went wide with shock.
Laura had grabbed his tie and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.
The cheering and noise around me went mute. The heart pounding in my chest simply... stopped.
Then came the endless fall.
The woman met my gaze, gave a playful wink, then kissed my cheek too, completely unfazed.
"Jill! Happy New Year!"
My lips moved, but no words came out.
A friend's joke from not long ago surfaced in my mind.