Page 20 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

I gestured around the room. “Everything I love is already here.”

Andi raised an eyebrow. “Including your sadness?”

“Wow,” I muttered.

Andre leaned forward, resting his hands on the table.

“Listen,” he said. “You’re heartbroken. That sucks. But the worst thing you can do right now is sit here all night thinking about that guy.”

I sighed.

Honey pointed toward the door. “So we’re dragging you out.”

“James,” Andi said, her eyes both worried and pleading, “tonight isn’t forgetting about him. It’s about reminding you that your life didn’t end with him.”

The room went quiet again.

I stared at my wine glass.

Then I finally sighed.

“Fine,” I muttered.

Andi shot up from her chair like she had just won the lottery. “OMG! He said yes!”

Andre pumped his fist and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Honey grabbed her purse from the counter. “We’re celebrating this birthday properly.”

Mel walked over and helped me stand. Her hands were gentle, almost cautious.

She looked at me with worried eyes. But there was something else in there too. Something I couldn’t quite place.

“Come on,” she said softly.

I sighed again. “Okay.”

So we went out that night.

And I had no idea that saying yes was about to reopen three chapters of my past.

Bario Club was already alive when we arrived.

The bass of the music pulsed through the building like a second heartbeat, vibrating through the floor the moment we stepped inside.

Colored lights flickered across the crowd—red, violet, blue, pink—washing over bodies that moved together in restless rhythm.

The air smelled like perfume, sweat, and liquor. It felt like the entire city had decided to show up in one place.

Andre led the way through the crowd like a man who had done this a thousand times before.

When we reached the VIP section, a server immediately appeared and guided us to a small couch overlooking the dance floor.

From above, the club looked like controlled chaos.

Lights spinning.

Glasses clinking.