She saw red and the romance was dead.

She saw the photo and her blood began to boil.

"How could he do this to me? He promised there was nothing there. He... he said he loved me."

The thoughts ran through her head as she picked apart every piece of their relationship and every detail from the last few months he had worked with that woman.

She loved him.

They had been together since college. Starting as friends, she had watched him go through multiple girlfriends and flings but nothing was significant to him until he finally convinced her to give him a chance.

She had called him from a bar that her latest attempt at a date had taken her to. It was the worst and she was sure that he thought it was the best night of his life but she just wanted an escape so she called her loyal white knight friend, Ryan.

"Hey, what's up?"

She could hear the worry in his tone and also a lot of loud noise behind him. He was at a party.

"Sorry, you're busy. It's fine" she quickly muttered and started to hang up.

"No no no... If you need me I'm there Ly, you know it" he said as he rushed to his car.

"Okay, I'm at Conner's on 105."

"Where is Chad?"

"It's Tad and he is in the restroom. Thank God Tess gave me the laxative."

"Oh, I love her," he said with a smile. "I'll be there in 5."

"Please don't drive crazy. I need you in one piece."

"Alright, but only because you said that. "

He arrived and she immediately ran outta there.

She climbed in the car and he looked at her worryingly.

"Do I need to go in and kick some ass?" He popped his knuckles in a show of being tough.

"What?! No. He is just a stupid guy who thought if he bought me some junk food and a drink I'd let him in my pants."

"Yeah, dummy. He doesn't know my Ly at all. Why did you even agree to go out with him? You could've just hung out with me or better yet go on a date with me."

"Yeah, true" she laughed thinking this was one of his jokes but his look turned soft and sweet.

"Lyra I mean it. Why won't you go out with me?"

"Ryan I... I mean I always thought you were joking when you asked me that before."

"Yeah, I guess nervous energy always made me make it funny instead of serious. You know I do that when I'm nervous."

"Yeah, wait I make you nervous? Since when?"

"Since the day I met you beautiful" he leaned in closer to her and gently kissed her cheek. "Ly, will you go on a date with me?"

She giggled and shook her head yes.

They had been inseparable since. 2 years of friendship then 1 year of dating then 1 year living together while they started their careers.

He, in acting, and her at a museum. His career though is where this all began. He had been in some low-budget films and a few series pilots but nothing was sticking at first so he stuck to theater. He had had some gorgeous costars but it was never an issue before. Lyra always felt like his number one most important person.

3 months ago he got the role he had been looking for. A lead on a popular sci-fi romance show. She was so proud of him.

His new costar was a known toxic actress though. Hailey would cause drama to make herself more of a star in the tabloids. She thought that was how you make it big. Always be on people's minds even if it's because you're terrible. She convinced the studio Ryan should date her to make their on-screen chemistry that much better but Ryan refused. She kept trying though.

She would belittle Lyra every chance she got. When Lyra would visit the set it was always little things like "Oh what a cute dress, too bad it doesn't fit right on you. I mean your so curvy."

"Hey, why are you here, I thought it wasn't allowed anymore."

She never did this in front of Ryan though. She would be sickenly sweet to him and he knew it but because she was the bigger name on the show he had to put up with her.

This photo though was something else. Months and months of their torture and self-doubt Lyra had been feeling. The texts she would send Ryan and he would ignore but Lyra had anxiety and had been hurt before so all of her past trauma made her poor soul fearful and paranoid.

Ryan would calm her every time a panic attack happened but he wasn't with her this time. He was at the party for the show when this photo was taken. He was with Hailey, and Lyra started seeing red. She had chosen not to go because she had a big project of her own and the museum and wanted to complete it. She came home around 9 PM and her phone buzzed. Hailey sent her a photo of Ryan with his arm around her and kissing her cheek.

"Like he always did with me."

She threw her suitcase on the bed and started packing. She was almost finished around midnight when she decided she would give him a chance to explain. She called his phone.

"Hey babe, you finished at the museum. That's great. Do you want to come and join me at a diner? I'm about to head out of this work thing myself."

"Why were you kissing her cheek?" she asked through her tears and the pounding in her heart and head.

"Huh? Wait what? Did Hailey send you something again? Ly it was for the press I swear."

"So if I had been there would you have still done it?"

"Ly, you know I love you. You know it's all for work. You know I hate Hailey."

She couldn't listen to it anymore. She slammed her phone down and it broke in half on the floor. She picked up her suitcase and dragged it through the rain to the airport.

The only reason she had come to New York was for him and his career. She wanted to go home now. To peace to a life that was simple. She knew he would keep trying to talk to her but with her phone broken and him rarely traveling anywhere that isn't for work. She thought he will never lie to me again.