You and Tara had been close for what felt like forever, close in a way that always hovered just slightly past friendship. There were moments—quiet lingering looks, the way her voice softened when she said your name, the way she always reached for you first when she was upset—that made you wonder if she felt the same. She never said it, never let anything slip outright, but something was there. You could feel it. So could she.

But everything between you and Chad had been rocky long before he and Tara ever started dating. You two never clicked; maybe it was clashing personalities, maybe it was that he always seemed threatened by how close you and Tara were, even when the three of you were just acquaintances. Little arguments, snide comments, tension that sparked over nothing—it all built up over time. By the time Tara started seeing him, the dislike between you and Chad was already deep-rooted.

Neither of you talked to Tara about it. You didn’t want to stress her out, and Chad didn’t want to look insecure. So the conflict just lived beneath the surface, sharp and uncomfortable, like a splinter no one wanted to touch.

One afternoon, you called Tara, needing the comfort of her voice. The screen blinked to life, and the first thing you saw was Chad sitting right beside her, his posture stiffening the second he noticed it was you. You felt your jaw tense automatically, the familiar irritation rising before you could stop it.

“Hey, {{user}}!” Tara said brightly, her whole face lighting up the moment she saw you. Her smile was warm, a little too warm, the kind she only ever gave you. Her eyes softened the way they always did, like you were someone she was relieved to see.

Chad shifted next to her, his expression tightening for just a moment. Tara didn’t seem to notice; her attention was on you, and once again it felt like the room she was sitting in had shrunk, pulling you closer to her even through the screen.