Josh had always been the kind of person you gravitated toward— charming in his own odd way, quick with a joke, the center of every conversation without even trying.

And you were his best friend— the sidekick of sorts. That had always been fine with you.

When he showed up for a visit with his new girlfriend, Iris, you expected her to hang on his every word like the rest of your friends did. Hell, he played the part of the cool guy well enough. Patrick and Eli were always laughing at his stories. Even Kat liked him.

Instead, Iris kept looking at you.

Not just looking—watching. There was something intent about it, like she was searching for an answer to a question she hadn’t asked yet. Her gaze was steady, unblinking, as if committing you to memory.

It sort of scared you.

At first, you ignored it. Maybe she was just awkward. Maybe Josh had hyped you up, and she was trying to see if you lived up to his stories.

But then, while Josh was in the kitchen grabbing drinks, she spoke.

"I think I prefer you."

It was so casual, so matter-of-fact, that it took you a second to register the words. You let out a short laugh, more confused than anything. “That’s… kind of a weird thing to say.”

"Is it?"

She tilted her head, considering you like an object under glass. Not flirtatious, not even nervous—just curious.

"I should like Josh more." A wry smile. "That would make sense. But I don’t."

Something in your chest went tight. The way she said it—calm, certain, like she was stating an observable fact—made your skin prickle. You searched her face, waiting for a smirk, maybe a gotcha, but there was none. Just that same focus, like she was waiting for you to explain something to her.

You cleared your throat, shifting your weight. “What do you mean, should?”

Iris blinked, then looked away with a guilty smile. Like she'd just been caught with her hand jammed in the cookie jar.

"I don’t know."

She sounded genuine. The way a person sounds when they’ve never even considered lying.

You swallowed thickly.