Without wanting to waste another minute with this current toxic Stephanie, I turned around to leave, but she grabbed my sleeves, her grip tightening as she began to plead, trying to hold me back from walking away. "Gabriel, please don't go," she begged, her voice laced with desperation, her eyes welling up with tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say those things. I'm just hurt, that's all. I know I said some terrible things, but I was just trying to protect myself."
But I was unmoved, my mind made up. I tried to shake her off, but she held tight, her fingers digging into my skin like claws. "Let me go, Stephanie," I said firmly, trying to pry her off me. "I need to get out of here."
That's when Sarah intervened, her voice calm and authoritative, cutting through the tension like a knife. "Is she making you uncomfortable, Gabriel?" she asked, her eyes locked on Stephanie, her expression unyielding.
I took a glance at Stephanie, her face twisted in a mixture of anger and desperation, her eyes flashing with a hint of madness. "No, I'm fine," I replied, my voice firm, trying to reassure Sarah.
Sarah nodded, her expression unyielding. "Good," she said, locking our elbows together as we began walking away from Stephanie. "Let's go. We don't need to deal with this drama."
But Stephanie became too loud, her voice echoing through the room like a banshee, as she started cursing Sarah. "You think you can just snatch him from me?" she screamed, her face red with rage, her eyes bulging out of her head. "He belongs to me, not you! You're just a cheap replacement, a pathetic attempt to fill the void I left!"
Ryan ran past us, his face concerned, as he went to hold Stephanie back from doing anything stupid. "Stephanie, calm down," he said, his voice firm but gentle, trying to reason with her. "This isn't going to solve anything. You're just making a scene."
But Stephanie struggled against him, her eyes fixed on me with a mixture of anger and hurt, her face contorted in a snarl. "Let me go!" she screamed. "I need to talk to him! I need to make him understand!"
As we walked back to our seat, I couldn't help but wonder how Sarah would react to the drama that had just unfolded. I expected her to be embarrassed, maybe even pissed off, by Stephanie's behavior. But instead, she was the opposite. She was smiling, her eyes sparkling with amusement, as if she had just witnessed a comedy show. Her lips were curled up in a sly grin, and her shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Mission accomplished," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, as we sat down. "We got her to regret rejecting you. Now she'll have to blame herself forever."
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction. "You find this funny?" I asked, trying to understand her perspective. "I mean, Stephanie just made a scene in front of everyone. I thought you'd be mortified."
Sarah nodded, her smile growing wider. "Yes, I do. I mean, think about it. Stephanie had the chance to be with you, but she blew it. And now, she's stuck with the knowledge that she let you go. That's priceless."
I chuckled, starting to see things from her point of view. "I guess you're right," I said, shaking my head in amazement. "I never thought I'd see the day where Stephanie would be the one regretting her decision."
Sarah leaned in close, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "That's the beauty of it. We didn't even have to do anything. She did all the work for us. She showed her true colors, and now everyone can see her for who she really is."
I nodded, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over me. "You're right. We did nothing but sit back and watch the drama unfold. And now, we get to enjoy the aftermath."
Sarah grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Exactly. And I have to say, I'm loving every minute of it. I mean, who doesn't love a good trainwreck?"
I laughed, feeling grateful to have Sarah by my side. She was the opposite of Stephanie in every way, and I couldn't help but feel lucky to have found her. "I'm glad you're enjoying it," I said, putting my arm around her. "Because I'm definitely enjoying it with you."
Sarah snuggled into my side, her head on my shoulder. "I'm glad we're in this together," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We make a great team."
Just like something that has become normal for us, she kissed me, her lips brushing against mine with a gentle tenderness that sent shivers down my spine. This was the third time today, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the start of something new, something more. Yesterday, we had never even shared a kiss, and now, it seemed like a distant memory, a reminder of a time when we were just friends, just acquaintances.
As our lips touched, I felt a rush of emotions, a mix of excitement and uncertainty. I didn't know what the future held, or if this was just a phase, a momentary lapse in our friendship. But for now, I just let go, letting the sensation of her lips on mine wash over me.
It was a soft, gentle kiss, not passionate or intense, but sweet and tender. The kind of kiss that spoke of comfort and familiarity, of a deep connection that went beyond words. And as we pulled away, I saw the same uncertainty in her eyes, the same questioning of what this meant, of where we were headed.
We didn't talk about it, didn't discuss what was happening between us. We just sat there, hands entwined, looking into each other's eyes, trying to make sense of it all. And I knew that I didn't want to go back to the way things were before, didn't want to be just friends, just strangers. I wanted more, wanted to explore this new connection, to see where it would take us.
But for now, I just smiled, smiled at her, and she smiled back, and we sat there, lost in the moment, lost in each other's eyes. And I knew that no matter what happened next, this moment, this kiss, would stay with me forever.