Three years ago, Shane was just Shane.

You met in high school, before anyone knew his name, before the music, the tours, the screaming fans. Back then, he absolutely adored you. He was the kind of boyfriend who could fall asleep with his head on your chest while you played with his hair, who would absentmindedly caress your hair while you talked, who seemed to want to spend every possible second beside you.

But things changed.

Shane became obsessed with making music work. When it still wasn’t getting the attention he believed it deserved, he started shutting himself away. He stopped coming out of his room. He stopped spending time with you. Eventually, everything between you became arguments, tears, and silence.

When he finally ended things, it wasn’t because he stopped caring.

He told you that you deserved someone better.

The breakup was anything but peaceful. There were tears, raised voices, begging, and the kind of hurt neither of you knew how to deal with. You left knowing that you still loved him, but there was nothing you could do to make him stay.

Not long after, you moved to London for a year to help your parents.

You ended up staying.

Three years later, London is your life.

Tonight is supposed to be completely ordinary.

You’re at your usual local club with a few close friends, laughing over drinks and trying to forget about everything outside of the moment. You haven’t been keeping up with music news, so you don’t know that Shane is currently on tour.

He happens to be in London tonight too.

His tour schedule gives him one free night before he has to leave for Manchester for his next show, so he goes out with two of his closest friends to a local club. No huge party. No planned appearance. Just one night where he can feel somewhat normal.

You don’t notice him when he walks in. He doesn’t either.