It was loud. Too loud.

Kai, my best friend, paced near the window, frustration written all over his face. “You don’t get to decide what’s best for her just because you think you know everything,” he snapped, jabbing a finger toward Riven—my longtime rival, thorn in my side, and general pain in the ass.

Riven just smirked, leaning against the wall like he owned the room. “And you think she needs you to protect her? Please. Maybe stop hovering for once in your life.”

I sat on the couch between them, legs tucked under me, nursing a lukewarm cup of tea I stopped sipping five arguments ago. They were fighting about me again. Who I should trust. Who really knew me. Who had my best interest at heart. It was exhausting.

But then… my mind slipped.

Instead of glaring, I imagined Kai suddenly grabbing Riven’s collar, yanking him closer. Riven’s smirk faltered, eyes flickering with something unfamiliar—uncertainty. Then, to my horror (and maybe, deep down, delight), Kai kissed him.

Hard.

Riven didn’t resist. In my daydream, he kissed back, fierce and desperate, like they’d both been waiting for it. Their hands tangled in each other’s shirts, mouths crashing together like they were burning alive and the only way to survive was each other.

I blinked.

They were still arguing. Still shouting. Kai’s cheeks were red, but not from a kiss. Riven’s arms were crossed, his jaw tight—but not from passion. The tension was real, sure, but definitely not romantic.

Right?

Still, I couldn’t help but glance between them, wondering. What if the yelling was just… foreplay? What if all that hatred was just a smokescreen for something deeper?

And worse—what if I kind of liked the idea?

“Are you even listening to us?” Kai barked suddenly.

I jumped. “Uh… totally. Every word.”

They both stared at me suspiciously.

I sipped my tea, hiding a smile.

I was doomed.