You didn’t go to college with Luke.

That had never bothered you—not really. Your life just looked different. While he had lectures and group projects, you had long shifts and early mornings, bills that didn’t wait and feet that always ached by the end of the day.

But every night, you still came home to him.

Two years of that—of shared dinners, late-night talks, quiet moments that felt solid. Real.

So when Ari’s message popped up on your phone, it didn’t scare you.

It annoyed you.

Hey. Can we meet? It’s about Luke.

You stared at it for a long second before replying.

Sure.

Ari was waiting at a table near the window, scrolling on her phone like she hadn’t been the one to call this whole thing.

She smiled when you sat down, polite and practiced. “Thanks for coming.”

You leaned back in your chair. “You said it was about Luke.”

She nodded, folding her hands together like she was preparing for something serious. “I didn’t want to do this over text. It didn’t feel right.”

Ari didn’t hesitate. “I think you should know Luke’s been flirting with me.”

For a second, you just looked at her.

Then you laughed.

Not loud. Not dramatic. Just a quick, disbelieving breath of a laugh, like she’d said something that didn’t quite land.

Ari frowned. “I’m serious.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” you said, still a little amused. “I just don’t believe you.”

Her expression hardened. “Why would I lie about that?”

You shrugged, leaning back in your chair. “I don’t know. But that’s not something he’d do.”

“He does it all the time,” she insisted. “You’re just not there to see it.”

That almost made you laugh again.

“Right,” you said. “And you are.”

Ari crossed her arms. “I’m trying to be honest with you.”

“Okay.”

You nodded like you heard her.

Still didn’t buy it.