Melanie is at the stove, stirring something that smells incredible. Mallory is on the floor with her kids, toys scattered around them. My dad is half asleep in the armchair, pretending he isn’t listening to every word. All the usual noise crashes around me. Everything that’s comfortable, familiar, and safe.
My mom’s voice carries from the kitchen. “Miles! You’re late—where’s Nora?”
I freeze with one foot still in the entryway, jacket halfway off. “She’s not coming.” Five heads turn at once.
Melanie squints. “Is she sick?”
Mallory folds her arms. “Did you forget to text her?”
My mom steps into the doorway, dish towel in hand. “Did something happen?”
I swallow. It felt real in the moment, but pretending it was fine now would just be another lie. “I need to tell you all something.” The room quiets. I move to the edge of the couch and sit, rubbing my palms against my khakis. “I messed up.” All eyes are on me now.
Melanie straightens. “What happened?”
“Nora and I…” I pause, then push through. “We haven’t been honest with you.” The silence thickens as they wait. “Nora and I,” I finish, my voice steady even as my heart pounds, “weren’t actually dating.”
Mallory blurts, “What?”
My mom’s mouth falls open. “Miles.”
“It was fake,” I say quickly because once the word is out, there’s no pulling it back. “The whole thing.”
My dad cracks an eyelid. “Fake how?”
“I joined OneDate,” I explain. “I matched with someone, but she bailed. Nora ended up showing up instead.”
“You joined a dating app?” Mallory asks.
“It’s not a traditional dating app,” I say with a sigh. “It’s for people who are tired of the ‘why are you still single’ questions and don’t want to explain themselves.”
Melanie’s voice is careful. “So… you lied.”
My pulse stutters. “Yes.”
“To all of us,” she adds.
“Yes.”
My mom sits across from me, her eyes searching my face. “Why?”
The question hits harder than I expect. I swallow. “Because for once, I didn’t feel like awkward Miles. For once, I didn’t want to show up alone.” My voice wobbles, but I keep going. “Mallory has Ben. Melanie has Randy. Everyone’s married with kids except me. I guess I got tired of being the odd one out.”
The room goes still.
“After the birthday party,” I continue, staring at my hands, “I felt like I finally fit. I wasn’t single Miles anymore. And it felt… good.” My head drops. “I’m sorry I lied. I know how much you all liked Nora.”
Mallory stands as toys clatter around her feet. Her hands clench at her sides. “You lied to us. You let us get attached. You let me get attached. You invited a stranger into our home, repeatedly. We hugged her.”
“I know?—”
“No.” She shakes her head, already backing toward the hallway. “I need a minute.”
She storms off. My mom hesitates only a second before following her, murmuring her name softly as they disappear down the hall.
The house feels hollow without Nora. I feel hollow without Nora. My gaze drops to the carpet. I messed up—with Nora, my family. A few silent minutes pass. Then Mallory comes back, eyes a little red, jaw set as if she’s already fought this out with herself. She walks straight to me.
“I’m mad. You hurt us.” She exhales, shoulders dropping. “But I also get it. And I hate that you felt like you had to pretend to belong.”
