CASS

I should've walked away.

Hell, I should've never come here. But when Kara chose Eli, when she looked me in the eye and said his name instead of mine—I lost it. And now I was standing outside Eli's apartment like some jealous idiot in a bad rom-com.

I was going to knock.

But the door was cracked open.

And I heard them.

Her voice. His.

Laughter. Then a moan.

And that's when everything snapped.

I pushed the door open and walked in like I had every right to be there. Like I hadn't just been publicly discarded like trash. Erin was perched on his lap, lips on his, and Eli—my best friend—didn't even flinch when he saw me.

"Wow," I said, loud enough to make them both jump. "She chooses you, and the first chance you get, you're already messing around with your ex?"

Erin stood behind him, her hand on his shoulder like she belonged there.

"Hey," she said softly, like she was talking to a wounded animal.

And that's when it hit me.

"How long?" I asked.

Eli shifted uncomfortably. "Cass—"

"How long have you two been back together?"

Another pause. Too long.

"A few days," Erin admitted.

The air left my lungs. "Before tonight? Before she chose you?"

Eli nodded, guilt written across his face.

I stared at him—really looked at him. "You never wanted her," I said, the pieces clicking into place. "This whole time, you were just—what? Playing wingman? Making sure I'd fall for her?"

"It wasn't like that."

"Wasn't it?" My voice cracked. "You made a bet that I'd fall in love. Then you handed me the perfect girl to fall for. And when I did—when I actually did—you let her choose you anyway. Why?"

Eli looked down. "Because you needed to lose something real. To understand what it felt like."

The honesty of it was worse than a lie.

I felt something break inside my chest—not my heart, that was already in pieces. Something deeper. The trust I'd built my whole adult life on.

"I thought you were my friend," I said quietly.

"I am your friend. That's why I—"

"No." I backed toward the door. "Friends don't manipulate each other. They don't use people as pawns in some twisted life lesson."

I turned the handle.

"Cass, wait—"

But I was already gone.

I walked away, the weight of betrayal settling heavy in my chest. Eli called after me once more, but I didn't turn back. The sound of his voice just made everything hurt worse.

I didn't know where else to go. My apartment was too quiet, too haunted. So I ended up outside Kara's door.

I rang once.

It opened faster than I expected.

She stood there in a hoodie and sleep shorts, no makeup, hair tied up. She took one look at me and froze.

I must've looked like hell.

"I'm not good," I told her, my voice raw. "I lied."

And I had. Lied about being fine. Lied about not needing her. Lied to myself.

She stepped forward.

Just one step.

Then another.

Then her arms were around me.

Kara made the first move—like she always did—and for once, I didn't push back. I held her like I meant it. Like it mattered.

We didn't say anything else.

We just closed the space between us and let everything else fall away.

And when she kissed me, I kissed her back like I had nothing left to lose.

Because I didn't.