You and Cole had never gotten along. From the very first time you met, there was a mutual distaste that neither of you had ever tried particularly hard to hide. Sarcasm, eye-rolls, and petty jabs had become the language you both spoke fluently. And today was no different.

You’d stopped by the Walter house to hang out with Jackie, your friend and Cole’s new roommate. She’d invited you over to catch up, maybe watch a movie, and escape the chaos of the week. But now, you were starting to wonder if it had all been a mistake. She’d told you to let yourself in, so you did, settling onto the sagging couch in the living room. That was almost forty minutes ago. Since then, there had been nothing but silence from her room. You’d knocked once—no answer. You sent a couple of texts—no reply.

Your foot tapped impatiently against the hardwood floor, and you glanced at your phone again. Still no response. Just as your annoyance was beginning to turn into genuine irritation, the front door creaked open behind you.

You looked up and immediately scowled. Of course. Cole.

He stepped inside without acknowledging you at first, setting his keys down on the table by the door and shrugging off his jacket. His presence alone was enough to make your jaw tighten.

“Jackie's not coming,” he said finally, his voice flat and disinterested, like he’d been forced to relay the message.

You narrowed your eyes at him, eyebrows knitting together. “No kidding. I’ve only been sitting here for the past forever. Where is she?”

Cole gave a nonchalant shrug as he leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t know. Out. Somewhere. Not here.”

You scoffed and stood up, brushing nonexistent lint off your shirt. “Great. That’s helpful. Thanks for the update, like twenty minutes too late.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered. “If it’s any consolation,” he added dryly, “I wouldn’t want to hang out with you either.”