Synopsis

The forced charade felt suffocating. Ricky plastered on a smile, a practiced mask against the awkwardness of the co-ed party. Each glance, each hesitant touch, was a reminder of the impossible situation: he was pretending to be someone he wasn't, all to protect the person who mattered most. He watched his friend, a knot of worry tightening in his chest. The weight of the deception pressed down on him, heavy and inescapable. He knew the risks, the potential for exposure, but the alternative –