“You don’t know that,” I say quietly.
“And you don’t know that she’s choosing him.” Riya leans forward. “But you’re assuming the worst anyway.Why?”
Because that’s what I do. It’s what I’ve always done.
Paige is late coming home—she must be with Brody.
Coach doesn’t start me—he must think I’m not good enough.
Dad doesn’t call—he must be disappointed.
Piper doesn’t immediately text back—she must be reconsidering everything.
“Because I’m fucked up,” I admit.
“Specifically fucked up how?”
I look down at Greg—it surprisingly appeared in my arms as I sat down. I'm assuming Riya brought it from Piper's room—his plastic pot suddenly fascinating. “My ex-girlfriend cheated on me. For months. And the whole time, I kept making excuses for all the weird behavior, all the signs. Told myself I was being paranoid, that I should trust her.” I swallow hard. “Turns out I wasn’t paranoid enough.”
“So now you assume the worst about everyone?”
“I assume people leave when something better comes along.” The admission tastes like shame. “It’s easier than being blindsided again.”
Riya is quiet for a moment, sipping her coffee and watching me with those sharp, dark eyes. When she speaks, her voice is gentler than I expect.
“Piper spentyearsassuming Miles would choose her if she just waited long enough. You know how that worked out?”
I nod, remembering the pain in Piper’s voice when she talked about their history.
“She wasted that time on someone who was never going to see her worth because she was too scared to ask for whatshe wanted directly.” Riya sets down her mug. “Don’t you think it’s ironic that you’re doing the exact same thing? Assuming she’ll leave instead of fighting for her to stay?”
The parallel hits like a slap. Piper waiting for Miles to notice her, me waiting for the other shoe to drop with everyone I care about. Both of us so terrified of rejection that we’d rather live in limbo than risk asking for what we want.
“Fuck,” I say.
“Yeah. I’m smart as hell and you’re both disasters. It’s almost cute.” Riya grins, sharp and satisfied.
I run a hand through my hair, trying to process this revelation. “So what do I do? Storm in there and demand she choose me? Show up and get into a pissing contest with Miles?”
“God, no. That would be awful and embarrassing for everyone involved.” She stands, walks to the kitchen. “You wait. You trust her to handle her own shit. And when she gets back, you have an honest conversation about what you both want instead of assuming you know how this ends.”
“What if she doesn’t come back?”
“She’ll come back. This is her apartment, genius. She lives here.”
Despite everything, I almost smile. “You know what I mean.”
“What if she doesn’t come back to you.” Riya nods. “Yeah, I know what you mean. And honestly? If she doesn’t, then she was never really yours to begin with. But if you run away now because you’re scared, you’ll never know what could have been.”
The truth of it settles over me like a weight. I’ve been so focused on protecting myself from potential hurt that I haven’t even given us a real chance.
I stand up, still holding Greg. “I should probably go.”
“Probably.” Riya walks me to the door. “But Ethan?”
“Yeah?”
“Leave the plant. And maybe a note. Something that doesn’t require an immediate response but lets her know you’re thinking about her. Piper will appreciate that.”
