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RONAN'S POV;
I woke up with a blurry vision and a hammering headache that pulsed painfully with every beat of my heart. "Damn," I muttered, clutching my temples as I tried to steady myself. The memories of last night were murky, but the ache in my chest was painfully clear.
"Hey," came a soft voice from beside me. I blinked, focusing on Sophie, who was sitting by my bed, watching me with a mix of worry and something else I couldn’t quite place.
"Sophie?" I mumbled, trying to make sense of it. "Wait… what happened?"
Fragments from the night before slowly began to piece themselves together. I remembered the look on Liora's face, the sting of rejection that had left me raw and hollow. I’d told her—actually said the words—that I loved her. She hadn’t even flinched. And then Max had shown up, like some damned knight in shining armor, draping his arm around her and kissing her cheek, right in front of me. She hadn’t pulled away. If anything, she looked happy.