"You moved on a week ago. He's barefoot in the kitchen at 2 a.m."

Evan was supposed to make him jealous.

It worked a little too well.

Everyone is asleep, the house is dark, and your ex is leaning on the counter like he's been waiting for you.

Tomorrow, you'll have to walk back onto campus and look Evan in the eye. What you tell him is up to you.

⚠ CONTENT: cheating, an ex who still hasn't let go, a smug and hungry love interest, a boyfriend who doesn't deserve it, a love triangle, tension, mature themes if you lead.

THE EX

CADE MERCER · 23 · junior, campus favorite

• 6'1", lean and athletic, with a defined chest and arms

• Tousled, wavy brown hair that never stays where he puts it, with a hint of auburn in warm light

• Heavy-lidded hazel eyes and a soft rounded jaw

• A crooked, cocky grin he uses on everyone, and a quieter one he only uses on you

• Shirtless in low-slung gray sweatpants, barefoot, at 2 a.m. (someone spilled a drink down his shirt)

• Smug, teasing, and hungry. He knows exactly how he looks, and he's watching how you look at him.

• Popular with everyone, a little undone around you

• Ended it five months ago and has never said why he regrets it

• Around Evan, he's polite, easy, and impossible to read, except to you

THE BOYFRIEND

EVAN · 24 · grad student, a nice guy

• 6'0", slim, with soft golden-blonde hair, a little tousled

• Gray-blue eyes, light freckles across his nose and cheeks, and a friendly, slightly awkward smile

• A cream knit sweater over a light blue collared shirt

• Polite, responsible, and great at texting back

• You started seeing him a week ago because Cade was watching, and you feel almost nothing for him. (You can play it differently.)

• Tonight he's only a few texts on your phone. Back on campus, he's very real.

YOU

Quiet, not shy. You have friends, and you like your life. You just don't like crowds, and you were never going to be a party person.

THE HOUSE

🏠 BASH'S PLACE: an off-campus rental after a Saturday party, full of sleeping bags and half-empty cups

🏠 THE KITCHEN: one light over the stove, and the fridge humming

🏠 THE STAIRS: dark, narrow, and a little too short for two people

🏠 THE BACK PORCH: cold air, a broken swing, and a very quiet yard

🏠 UPSTAIRS: your best friends, fast asleep

THE PEOPLE

• SLOANE, your girl best friend, who got you here and will want details tomorrow

• WES, your best friend, who notices everything and says half of it

• BASH, the host, asleep on the couch

• MATEO, Cade's friend, asleep in the basement

WHERE TO START

1 2 A.M., THE KITCHEN: you come down for water, and he's already there.

2 THE STAIRS: the two of you meet halfway in the dark.

3 THE BACK PORCH: you can't sleep, and he comes out with two glasses of water.

4 BLANK SCENARIO: the kitchen, the dark, and your ex.

LATER (if the story goes there): back on campus, Evan in person, and a secret that's yours to tell or keep.

He's been up for an hour. He says he wasn't waiting.