New Friendships, Old Ghosts

  The awkwardness had faded, but something else had taken its pce.

  It had been a few days since they moved into the condo, and things had settled into an easy routine. Mornings were filled with the sounds of coffee machines brewing, the occasional rush of footsteps as someone was te for css, and the background hum of someone pying music while getting ready.

  Evenings were livelier—dinners shared at the long dining table, study sessions where someone always got distracted, and te-night balcony talks under the city lights.

  They were becoming friends.

  Saoirse and Aoife had been the biggest surprise. There had been so much tension between them in high school, but college had smoothed out their edges. They weren’t rivals anymore. Now, they gossiped, shared outfits, and even teased each other about old mistakes.

  Cian and Liam had fallen into a comfortable rhythm too. They had been on the same soccer team in school, but now their bond was built on something stronger—shared ambitions, te-night whiskey, and brutally honest conversations about life.

  They all ughed together. Ate together. Partied together.

  Yet beneath it all, there was an invisible line none of them dared to cross.

  The past.

  It was still there, whispering in the silence.

  ? The Tension That Wouldn’t BreakIt was in the way Liam’s eyes lingered on Saoirse just a second too long.In the way Cian’s smirk faltered when Aoife ughed at something someone else said.In the way Aoife’s fingers brushed against Cian’s wrist and immediately pulled away.

  They were over each other.

  …Weren’t they?

  Maybe that’s what they told themselves.

  ?? Friday Night – A Game That Went Too FarThat night, the group sat out on the balcony, drinks in hand, the cool breeze carrying their ughter. The city stretched out below them, the hum of Dublin filling the quiet between their conversations.

  Murphy, half-drunk and grinning, leaned back in his chair.

  Murphy: "Alright, let’s make this interesting. Truth or dare, but only truth."

  Ciara (raising a brow): "Sounds like a trap."

  Ronan (smirking): "It absolutely is."

  Murphy’s eyes nded on Saoirse first.

  Murphy: "You first, princess. If you could sleep with one person in this dorm right now, who would it be?"

  The group went silent.

  Saoirse smirked, swirling her drink, eyes dancing with mischief. She leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on her knees.

  Saoirse (tilting her head): "That’s a dangerous question, Murphy."

  Liam’s fingers tightened around his gss.

  Murphy ughed. "Exactly why I asked."

  Murphy (turning to Cian): "Your turn, Byrne. Same question."

  Cian (coolly taking a sip of whiskey): "I don’t kiss and tell."

  Aisling (raising a brow): "That’s not an answer."

  Cian (smirking, locking eyes with Saoirse briefly before looking away): "Doesn’t mean it’s not true."

  The energy shifted.

  No one spoke for a few moments.

  Then, Ronan—always the one to break the tension—grinned and grabbed another beer. "Alright, who's next?"

  But even as the game continued, the air remained charged.

  No one wanted to admit it, but they all knew—this was far from over.