Lily's heart pounded in her chest as she realized who had saved her—Tim. The sight of him standing there, furious, his fists clenched, sent a strange combination of fear and hope surging through her. For years, she’d longed for him to notice her, but not like this—not with such an intense, furious expression.

Where did he come from? Lily wondered. I thought he was busy with that girl... so he knew I was here?

A flicker of hope stirred within her—maybe Tim had been watching her, maybe he cared more than she thought. But before she could process the thought, Tim yanked her to a stop, pulling her out of the crowd. They were now at the back of the nightclub, away from the music and people, under dim lights that barely illuminated his furious gaze.

“What the hell are you doing here by yourself?” Tim’s voice was loud, accusatory, filled with anger. “Don’t you know how dangerous a place like this is?”

Lily flinched at the harshness in his tone. “I wasn’t by myself! I was with my friends. We just got separated on the dance floor!”

“Friends?” Tim spat, his voice rising even louder. “What kind of friends leave you alone in a place where you could get hurt?”

Before she could reply, Tim’s hands were on her, urgently checking her for injuries, brushing over her arms, shoulders, and face, his touch more intense than she’d ever imagined. When he grabbed her face and tilted it up toward his, his eyes bore into hers with a wild intensity.

“Are you hurt? Did that guy touch you?”

For a brief moment, Lily was overwhelmed by the concern etched across his features. She wanted to bask in the feeling, in the knowledge that Tim was so desperate to make sure she was safe. But then the image of him smiling at that girl earlier—the way she’d leaned into him, the way he’d let her—flashed through her mind, and her relief turned to anger.

She jerked away from his touch. “Who are you to care? Why do you even bother? You’re not my boyfriend, Tim!”

Tim blinked, stunned by her sudden outburst. “Lily, wait—”

“No, you wait!” she shot back, her voice rising. “Thank you for helping me, but you have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. It’s not your damn business!”

Tim’s expression hardened, frustration mingling with confusion. “Of course, it’s my business! You’re Eric’s sister! If something happened to you and I didn’t do anything, Eric would never forgive me.”

Lily’s heart twisted at his words. Of course, it was about Eric. It was always about her being “Eric’s little sister.”

She bit back the tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t care, Tim! Go back to your girl of the week and leave me alone!”

“Lily, stop being stubborn,” he urged, his voice softer now, but still firm. “It’s not safe for you here. Let me take you home.”

“No! I’m going back to my friends,” she snapped, her anger still simmering. “Whether I live or die, it doesn’t concern you!”

Tim’s face paled at her words. “Don’t say things like that, Lily. You don’t mean it.”

She turned her back on him, tears threatening to spill. “Just go back to your ‘playdate,’ Tim. That’s where you belong.”

Without waiting for his response, she stormed off, pushing through the crowd, desperate to put as much distance between them as possible. Her emotions churned inside her, torn between the pain of unrequited love and the sting of his protectiveness, which felt more like pity.

Tim started to follow her, his concern still outweighing the sting of her words, but just as he moved, the girl from earlier caught his arm. Lily glanced back only long enough to see Tim hesitate before he allowed himself to be pulled away. Her heart shattered all over again.

He chose her.

Ryan and Becca were easy to spot near the dance floor, and as soon as Lily reached them, Ryan enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Lils! Are you okay?” Ryan asked, his voice laced with worry. “We couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, though her voice lacked conviction. “I ran into Tim, and he helped me.”

Becca’s eyes widened. “Tim saved you?”

Lily nodded but quickly added, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Her friends exchanged glances, sensing her discomfort. “It’s okay,” Becca said softly. “We can leave if you want.”

“Yeah,” Ryan agreed. “We came here for you. If you want to go, we’ll head out.”

Lily gave them a grateful smile, though her heart felt heavy. “Thanks, guys. Let’s just go.”

As they left the club and said their goodbyes, Lily couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sadness creeping in. What was supposed to be a night of celebration had turned into a painful reminder that Tim would never see her as more than his best friend’s little sister.

When she finally made it home and stepped into her bedroom, Lily collapsed onto her bed, her emotions in turmoil. She stared up at the ceiling, replaying every moment of the night in her mind—the way Tim had looked at her, the frustration in his voice, the pain in her chest when he walked away.

She had hoped for so long that Tim would notice her, that maybe, just maybe, he might care for her the way she cared for him. But tonight, seeing him with that other girl, seeing how little she truly mattered to him, had made one thing painfully clear.

He would never love her.