“I've been studying. And working in the studio,” Rosie replied, not looking up from her notebook.
“Right. And spending time with Dex in the studio?”
My blood ran cold.
Rosie's pen stopped moving. “What about it?”
“Nothing, just... You two have been spending a lot of time together. More than usual.”
“You asked me to help him in his recovery, remember?”
“Yeah, I know.” Aaron paused. “It's just that hoodie you're wearing. It looks exactly like the one Dex has.”
“It's a common hoodie, Aaron. Half the campus probably has one.” Rosie's voice remained steady, but I could see the tension in her shoulders.
“Maybe.” Aaron wasn't letting it go. “But Dex’s hoodie had this small bleach stain on the left sleeve. Right about... there.”
He reached over and touched the exact spot on Rosie's sleeve where a small, faded mark was visible.
My heart stopped.
Rosie looked down at the stain, then back at Aaron. The café suddenly felt too small, too hot, too exposed.
“Aaron...”
“Is there something going on between you and Dex?” Aaron's voice was low, controlled, but I heard the edge in it.
“We should go,” Max whispered urgently, tugging at my arm.
But I couldn't move. I couldn't leave Rosie to handle this alone, even though intervening would make everything worse.
“No,” Rosie said firmly. “We're friends. He's your best friend, Aaron. Don't be ridiculous.”
“Then why are you wearing his hoodie?”
“Because I was cold one night and he lent it to me. That's what friends do.” She finally looked at him, and I had to admire how steady she kept her voice. “You're being paranoid.”
Aaron stared at her for a long moment, and I could see the internal debate playing out on his face. He wanted to believe her, but something was clearly nagging at him.
“Dex!” Aaron suddenly called out, making both Max and I jump. “Come here for a second.”
“Shit,” Max breathed.
I forced myself to stand and walk over, my mind racing through possible explanations, possible exits from this conversation.
“Yeah?” I tried to sound casual as I approached.
Aaron looked between Rosie and me. “When did you give Rosie your hoodie?”
The question hung in the air like a grenade. One wrong word and everything would explode.
“Uh, last week? After our session. She was cold.” I kept my face neutral, my voice even. Years of media training for post-game interviews were finally paying off.
“And you didn't mention it?” Aaron's eyes narrowed.
“Why would I? It's just a hoodie, man.” I shrugged, praying he'd buy it. “You've borrowed my stuff before. Not that big of a deal.”
“Right.” Aaron didn't look convinced,but he didn’t have any proof beyond a borrowed hoodie. “It's just... you've both been acting weird lately. Secretive.”
