[Johan's POV]
"... And just like that, the love and friendship I treasured for years came to an end. So much for my happily ever after." Johan finished with a bitter laugh, tears brimming his eyes. He released a long-suffering sigh against Adrian's neck.
Opening up to Adrian was both relieving and painful. It lifted the emotional baggage he carried off of his chest after years of suppressing it, but reliving the history reopened a wound he thought has already healed. The continuous kneading of gentle fingers to his nape, however, calmed the storm of emotions swirling within his heart. It reminded him he's in the present with Adrian, inside the stillness of his room.
I honestly had to re-read how I left the story before the huge-ass flashback. Getting back to the present was harder than I thought.
Then there's online classes and job interviews I had to juggle. Thank you all for your patience!