He glares at me, his jaw clenching. "Me!? Out of all the places on this Earth, you chose to be here, in Toronto, on this exact date. I'm the one that should be pissed."

I exhale slowly, letting his anger roll off me. “Listen, it’s a big city. I’m sure we’ll both manage.” I roll my eyes, casually scanning the sidewalk as if I'm in no rush to leave, even though every part of me wants to. I add, “But you didn’t answer my question—what are you doing here?”

The edge in my voice doesn’t go unnoticed. He lifts his chin, acting like he doesn’t care. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he asks, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why, so you can beat me to it before I get there?” He huffs, arms folding across his chest like he’s trying to guard himself.

I can't help it. I smirk again. It's sick, but I’m glad to know I’m not the only one carrying around that mess from prom night. The mess that tore us apart. If I had the chance, would I go back and do things differently? Yeah, maybe. Wasn’t my smartest move. But I’m not about to give him the satisfaction of admitting that.

“Whatever,” I mutter, turning away from him. It’s supposed to feel like a victory, like I’m walking away from the past once and for all.

But then I stop. There’s something I can’t shake. I glance back over my shoulder, and I see the confusion etched across his face, his eyes glued to the tiny screen of his phone. He’s biting his lip, the same way he used to when he was frustrated. I can't ignore how much that little gesture makes my stomach flip. The same way it always did. My feet drag me back toward him before I even realize it.

It doesn't feel right. I have this nagging instinct to make sure he’s okay, even though he’s not my problem anymore.

"Dude, where are you headed? I can drive you," I offer.

His eyes snap to me, disbelief clouding his features. "What? No. I’ll figure it out." He stands taller, trying to act like he doesn’t need me.

But I keep pushing. “Are you waiting for a taxi? An Uber? Where are you staying?” I fire off questions, and I can see him growing more and more agitated. “Do you have any plans? At all?” I feel the weight of his silence between us, pulling tighter.

His confused eyes connect with mine. Fuck.

And then it hits me. “You don’t have anything planned, do you?”

He opens his mouth to argue, but I’ve already walked over to grab his mini suitcase and yank it away from him. The move is abrupt, and the shock on his face is exactly what I was hoping for.

“Hey! Give that back–” he shouts, but I don’t stop.

“Listen,” I snap, “you don’t have to do whatever I say, but it’s clear that you need help. You’ve got a problem, and I’ve got a solution. So stop being such a baby.”