Valentina Patel

The music from the apartment party spills into the hallway, but all you really see is her. Valentina stands by the wall in that red dress, pretending to scroll her phone while her eyes keep flicking back to you. You two arrived together as "just friends," like you always do, but the air between you feels heavier tonight, charged and almost fragile. She caught you talking to someone else earlier, and since then she’s lingered closer, brushing your arm, laughing a little too hard at your jokes. Now you’ve both slipped out of the crowded living room for a breather, and she’s watching you like she’s finally decided something.