“Just because two people know each other from the past doesn’t mean they dated,” Rowan said, his voice calm but firm.

  We were all sitting in a circle outside, legs stretched out on the grass, the afternoon breeze rustling through the trees above. The sun was warm on our backs, softening the sharp edges of the week.

  Rowan’s words were directed at Alax, who had casually brought up Sophia a few minutes ago.

  Alax turned to glance at me, offering a small, almost knowing smile.

  Had he guessed how I felt all along? Was this his quiet way of helping me get answers, without cornering me or making it obvious?

  Whatever his reason, one thing was now certain: Rowan and Sophia hadn’t dated.

  They just knew each other. And that, somehow, felt like a silent victory.

  A soft vibration buzzed against my leg. I checked my phone.

  It was a message from Alax.

Are you okay now?

  I couldn’t help but smile as I read it. Then I looked up, met his eyes, and smiled again, a silent thank-you written in the glance we shared.

  I wanted to do something for him. Not just say thank you, but show it.

  Suddenly, Jake interrupted the moment. “Are you dating anyone right now?” he asked, addressing Rowan with the subtlety of a brick.

  Rowan, who had been focused on his laptop, paused mid-typing. Slowly, he looked up, not at Jake, but at Alax.

  “What do you think?” Rowan asked him directly. “Have you seen me with any girl?”

  Alax shook his head. “No.”

  “Then obviously, I’m not dating anyone,” Rowan said simply, returning to his screen.

  Another wave of relief washed over me. My heart, which had been tiptoeing around hope, felt just a little lighter.

  Without thinking too much, I typed a reply to Alax:

I want to treat you. You choose the place.

  He checked his phone, then looked up with that warm, steady smile.

Okay, let’s go on the weekend, he replied.

  I gave him a thumbs-up.

  That’s when I noticed Rowan looking up again. His eyes flicked between me and Alax.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, his tone unreadable.

  “Nothing,” Alax replied casually, his voice light. “Aria and I are going out this weekend.”

  Rowan’s gaze shifted and landed on me.

  “You’re going out with him?” he asked.

  It was the first time in a long while that he’d spoken to me directly, outside of academic necessities. A full sentence. Directed only at me.

  I nodded slowly.

  Was he… concerned?

  Or was I just imagining it?

  Maybe it meant nothing.

  But in that moment, my heart clung to the fragile hope that it meant everything.

  “Why are you guys fighting over an ice cream flavor?” Nora said suddenly, flopping down beside me. Jake and David followed, each choosing a dramatic side of the circle like warriors in a sugary battle.

  “Here,” she said, handing out cones.

  Jake and David glared at each other with the intensity of sworn rivals. I didn’t need to guess why, David couldn’t stand how friendly Jake was being with Nora.

  I didn’t bother getting involved in their petty feud. Instead, I quietly pulled out a chocolate cone and gave to Rowan.

  He was still typing, absorbed in his work.

  “Rowan,” I said softly.

  He looked up, glanced at the cone, then at me. His expression was unreadable.

  “I don’t like chocolate,” he said plainly.

  Before I could respond, Alax reached out and took the cone from my hand.

 “But I love…” Alax said, unwrapping the paper from his ice cream cone.

  Rowan pulled a vanilla from the packet without saying anything further.

  I stood there for a moment, watching him, wondering,

Will he ever notice how hard I’m trying?

  “Hey, what are you doing this weekend? Let’s go shopping,” Nora said, taking a bite of her ice cream. A blob of it smeared across her lip.

  I reached for a tissue and gently wiped it off for her.

  “I have plans this weekend,” I said.

  “Plans with whom?” she asked, eyes narrowing in surprise.

  “Me,” Alax said before I could respond, raising a hand like he’d just volunteered in class.

  Jake leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. “Are you guys going on a date?”

  “It’s not a date,” I said quickly, flustered. “We’re just… hanging out.”

  But Alax was still smiling.

  I turned to him, glaring. “What are you doing? Clear it up. They’re getting the wrong idea.”

  He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Everyone, relax. She’s just treating me for something. That’s all. No drama.”

  Rowan suddenly shut his laptop with a sharp click.

  “Are you guys…” he started, then stopped mid-sentence.

  His eyes locked with mine.

  He didn’t finish his question.

  He didn’t need to.

  His eyes were asking more than his lips ever could.

  Or maybe… maybe it was just my heart hearing what it wanted to hear.

My comfort note

Dear comfort note,

I’m loving my life right now. I know I talk a lot of nonsense to you sometimes,

My dear Comfort Note, I have something to tell you today. First, I need to thank Alax. He helped me out with that thing, and honestly, I really appreciate him.

Not just because he’s helping me get closer to Rowan, but because… he’s just genuinely a good person. Kind. Thoughtful. Easy to talk to.

Okay, now the big news. Rowan is not dating anyone. They just know each other. That’s it. Nothing more. Can you believe it?

Alax somehow got Rowan to open up and share that, and now I feel like I can finally breathe. I’m so happy, I’ve already decided, I’m going to treat Alax.

Give him the best treat I can. Because he deserves it. And I’ll tell him the truth too.

That, yes… at first, I approached him because of Rowan. But now? I truly love him; he is my lovable friend. And I’m so, so grateful he’s in my life.