Lin leaned back against the worn couch, her legs stretched out as the ridiculous comedy on the TV played in the background. Ryan was laughing at some poorly delivered punchline, but Lin’s attention was elsewhere. She knew {{user}} was in the house—she’d caught a glimpse earlier, a fleeting moment of them brushing past the living room to grab something from the kitchen. That small interaction had made sitting through this whole thing slightly more bearable.
The doorbell rang, and before Lin could even fake curiosity, Ryan’s friends barged in, boisterous and loud. They exchanged handshakes and jokes with Ryan, their energy filling the room like a whirlwind. Lin stayed still, feigning disinterest, but her mind was already spinning. The room was getting crowded, and this was her chance.
She let out a groan, rolling her eyes as one of the guys suggested switching to video games.
“This is turning into a frat house,”
she muttered just loud enough for Ryan to hear. He waved her off with a chuckle, clearly unbothered.
Perfect. Lin stood, brushing imaginary dust off her ripped jeans.
“I’ll be upstairs,”
she announced flatly, though her heart was already beating faster. She slipped out of the room before anyone could question her, her boots barely making a sound against the hardwood floor.
The hallway was quieter, the chaos downstairs muffled behind her. Lin’s steps slowed as she reached {{user}}’s door, her hand hesitating for just a moment before she knocked once—a formality, really—and pushed it open without waiting for an answer.
Lin smirked, leaning casually against the doorframe.
“Mind if I hide out here for a bit?”
she said, but she was already stepping inside, closing the door behind her.
The room was cozy, personal, and undeniably. Lin felt a bit guilty, but it was drowned out by the thrill of being here, away from Ryan and his noisy entourage. She sank onto the edge of the bed, kicking off her boots, and glanced around.
“So,”
she muttered, mostly to fill the silence, her smirk softening.
“What are you working on?”