aaaaand end of chapter 17 !!

i've been so excited to finally get to this part of the story 🥳
feed will be updated later today i think

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

she slipped out of the living room and into the cold night, leaving him standing by the window, the music loud again, eyes fixed on the spot she’d been, trying to make sense of what had just happened, and where it had all gone off course.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

she pressed her palm to his chest to keep the distance, eyes fixed on the floor. he searched her face, clearly unconvinced, about to argue. but this time, she was the one to cut him off.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

and then reality crashed in. she stiffened, breath catching, hands dropping to her sides again. kiyoshi felt it instantly and pulled back, concern flashing across his face.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

something in his expression shifted. he reached out, fingers closing gently but firmly around her arm, pulling just close enough that she could feel his breath. her heart slammed against her ribs.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

they stared at each other for a beat. music swelled behind them. kiyoshi pushed himself off the window and turned to face her, gesturing toward the living room. she tilted her head slightly in response, tipsy and bold in a way she usually wasn’t.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

she chuckled despite herself. then, they both burst out laughing, breathless, the honesty catching them off guard. the tension eased, just enough.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

but it didn’t last. she blinked, surprised. it felt like they couldn’t talk anymore without something deeper seeping through, as if their feelings were spilling out despite themselves, impossible to keep contained.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

she exhaled, trying and failing to summon a smile. instead, her gaze dropped to the floor, as if she were trying to hide from her own confession. his last comment snapped her eyes back to his, but he didn’t give her time to react.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

but kiyoshi quickly noticed. he excused himself from his friends and crossed the room, lifting a hand in a small, almost shy wave until she looked over.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

back in that arts quarter apartment, scarlett had drifted toward the window, her back pressed to the cold glass. the city glowed below, fireworks fading into smoke. the room before her buzzed with music and voices, but she felt oddly removed from it all.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

and... it worked. soon enough, his hands were back at her hips, their bodies pressed together, the music loud, and the rhythm doing the rest.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

as they wished each other a happy new year, kiyoshi’s arms found scarlett without hesitation, warm and sure. she held onto him a moment longer than necessary, breathing him in, savoring the closeness of the embrace.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

...right as the clock struck midnight. on the other side of town, the countdown ended in a rush of noise and laughter, glasses clinking, people cheering.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

a wave of relief washed over her, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. they drifted to a quiet corner, and madison leaned in to close the distance for her first kiss ever...

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

the two girls began to spin together on the auditorium’s improvised dance floor. the room throbbed with music and teenage laughter, and madison had to push herself and speak loud enough for abby to hear her as she finally confessed her crush.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

so she gathered her courage and went straight to abby, asking her to dance. it was her prom, after all. and new year’s! if she was ever going to do something about that crush, it was now or never.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

proud of his gift's obvious success, kiyoshi crossed his arms and smile confidently, eager to spend more time with her. maybe even talk to her about her book, now that he’d finally admitted to reading it.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

suddenly, he reached for his pockets, from where he took it out a small, neatly wrapped package before handing it to her with a shy smile.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

this nearly-colliding into her neighbor was quickly turning into an unfortunate (or maybe fortunate?) habit.

(i swear it's not me forcing it for the story, he's always knocking at her door or hanging in the hallway)

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

it felt almost surreal that something as simple as eating out had been impossible since the divorce. she was ecstatic to give them this moment, while casey and madison couldn’t hide how proud they were of their mom.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

but enough about j: they still had to properly celebrate scarlett’s award. she decided to take them to one of san myshuno’s fanciest restaurants for the occasion.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

so he kept his promise. it didn’t take long for the next call, as j had been almost harassing him, his dad’s name flashing on his screen nearly every day.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

what he didn’t know was that, while he had been rekindling with an old flame, on the very same night, his mother too had been confronted to a figure from their past. as she told them what happened, casey’s jaw tightened instantly.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

whatever high school drama once lingered had faded, his resentment with it. and besides, he couldn’t bring himself to say no to such a moment of music.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

CHAPTER 17: AFTER MIDNIGHT

on the evening his mother had gone to attend the starlight accolades ceremony, casey received an unexpected call from cassandra, offering him a spare ticket to a symphony concert.

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feed is updated with yesterday's chapter!

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aaaaaand end of chapter 16

our scarlett is an awarded novelist now, and finally rid of j !!

#struckbylove #sims4 #showusyoursims

but scarlett had turned away first. as she walked toward the entrance, someone called her name. she stopped, smiled, signed an autograph with hands that no longer shook. behind her, j blended back into the crowd, smaller now. just another face among many.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories

she moved past the anger and saw the hurt in his eyes. he had brought this on himself, yet still... he was right. he was the one who had lost the most in the divorce. for the first time, a flicker of pity for him stirred within her.

#struckbylove #sims4 #sims4stories