THE ALPHA NEEDS ME

I decided to sway past that and not act affected in any way. Keeping my chin up, I walked to the far end of the table and sat down. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

Amira was all over Skyler, laughing at every word he said, touching his arm, leaning in too closely. To him, it was like I wasn’t even there. He seemed so at ease with her, so free like he never once raised his voice at me. He looked happy and carefree.

“You and Tia looked so good together, I must say,” one of his friends remarked, shooting me a dismissive side glance.

“Exactly. They make a good pair,” another chimed in.

“Hey, Raya,” Amira suddenly called out, her voice laced with hidden mockery, “do you think so?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “If they looked any better together, you’d think they were rehearsing for a show.”

Her eyes widened, clearly taken aback by my response, and for a moment, I savored the shocked silence around the table.

We ate in an uncomfortable quiet, and I watched as Tia made Skyler sip from his glass. In return, he playfully stained her lips with oil, gently rubbing it off with his thumb. Their soft laughter filled the air, as he fed her like her hands were incapable of doing it herself.

“It looks like you both can’t get enough of the time you spent in the Maldives,” Amira mused.

Skyler smiled. “It’s a pleasure to have her back.”

I fixed my gaze on their clasped hands, the knot in my stomach tightening.

Tia acted like I was nothing to Skyler. The entire time, she clung to him as if I didn’t exist, her fingers resting on his arm, her laughter ringing in his ears. I was clearly the unwelcome one at this table. I couldn’t take it anymore. I dropped my fork, the clatter drawing their eyes to me.

Tia, ever so composed, feigned concern. “Oh, I forget to thank you, Raya. My bad.”

“Thank me for what?” I asked, my voice tight with barely concealed irritation.

“For letting me spend such a great time with Skyler yesterday in the Maldives. It was memorable.” She leaned closer to him, resting her head on his arm, her expression smug as her fingers intertwined with his.

“It was no big deal. Don’t mention,” Skyler added casually, patting her cheek with a smile that stung like a blade.

I felt my blood boil, but before I could respond, Amira chimed in, “Is someone missing out on the great moments?” Her eyes settled on me, gleaming with satisfaction as she watched my discomfort surface.

“I think I’ll take my leave now,” I said, pushing my chair back, my voice barely holding steady. No one said a thing; they simply continued eating as if I were invisible.

Just as I turned to leave, Tia’s voice cut through the air. “Oh, you got that scarf? I guess it was impossible to get the real one.” Her head tilted as she fingered the fabric around her neck, and for the first time, I noticed it—the real designer scarf, wrapped elegantly around her throat.

Amira gasped dramatically. “Is that the latest piece by Antonio Rivadeneira? It’s stunning!”

Tia smiled sweetly. “Yes, Skyler got it for me from Paris. It’s even custom-made.” She touched it delicately as if it were a crown.

Amira glanced at my scarf, her smile faltering as she quickly tried to mask her words. “Oh... I didn’t realize they made knockoffs of such a recent design.”

Skyler shamelessly shrugged. “I just picked it up from a thrift shop downtown. Thought it suited Raya.” His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

How could he do this? I instinctively touched the scarf around my neck, feeling the cheap fabric, my eyes drifting to Tia as she beamed at me with satisfaction. It was as clear as day—I meant nothing to him. I’d had enough.

I grabbed my purse and left without another word.

“Oh my, is Raya upset?” I overheard Tia's voice, sounding fake and sweet. “Go talk to her, Skyler.”

“No. Let her be. She never wanted to come here anyway,” he said, dismissing me without a second thought.

As I reached the exit, I cast one last glance over my shoulder at him, his arm still wrapped around Tia. It was like I’d never even been there. After that, I left without sparing another glance.

Things had been going well between Skyler and me—at least, that’s what I believed. Some people around the city saw us as the destined couple, the perfect pair. That was before Tia returned to the city a few weeks ago. I hadn’t realized how close they had gotten until the rumors started. People in his pack whispered about him frequenting her apartment, taking her on dates—dates he rarely took me on anymore. I was a fool, ignoring the signs, convincing myself nothing was going on between them despite his coldness toward me, which worsened after she came back.

When I got home, I felt like I was suffocating. I took a cold shower, hoping it would wash away the ache in my chest. But it didn’t. The water ran over me, but the pain remained, clinging to me like a second skin. As I stepped out of the bathroom, my phone beeped. I grabbed it, still dripping, only to see a message from Skyler.

{Why did you leave like that, Raya?}

I scoffed, tossing the phone onto the bed without replying. The nerve. He didn’t care how I felt. Before I could walk away, the phone buzzed again. More messages. I reluctantly glanced at the screen.

{You’ve disrespected me in the worst way tonight and ruined the moment for everyone.}

{You need to make up for this. Tia is upset, and you made her feel terrible.}

{Apologize to her, or it’s over between us.}

Fury surged through me, white-hot and uncontrollable. I slammed the phone down onto the bed. Tia. It was always about her. He didn’t care that I was hurting, didn’t ask once how I felt, only concerned about her feelings. Screw him.

I sat on my bed, my mind swirling with thoughts of the life I had envisioned with him. How had we ended up here? I thought we were building something real—something permanent. But now, all I could see was the truth I had been too blind to admit. Tia had him wrapped around her finger, and I was nothing more than a placeholder until she returned.

I didn’t want to think about him anymore. I needed a distraction. I picked up my phone and scrolled through my X feed, trying to lose myself in mindless posts. But I froze when I saw her name pop up. Tia. She had just posted a photo of her and Skyler in a fancy, beachside restaurant in the Maldives.

The caption read: *I’ve won the heart of my first love again.*

My chest tightened, but I scrolled further. Another picture. This one was from tonight; her arm looped through him, with a radiant smile that made my stomach turn.

Caption: *My best friend, my soulmate, my lover.*

I laughed softly, more out of provocation than amusement. My face twisted in bitterness. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, and before I could stop myself, I typed, “Wow. A pleasant match from heaven.”

Almost immediately, my phone dinged. She responded.

But I didn’t care to read it. I logged off, tossing the phone aside. The message was clear. I finally understood what Skyler wanted. He had always wanted her. And me? I was just a backup plan, something to hold onto while he waited for Tia to return. But I wasn’t going to let that happen anymore.

It’s over. Completely. I’ll move on, and forget Skyler ever existed in my life.

Period!