Chapter 3

I start the car and drive to the seafood restaurant.

Since the trip started, I've been the only one driving.

Ryan and Sophie sit in the back playing with Bowie, laughing nonstop.

They roll a window down.

Bowie sticks his head out, barking into the wind.

Someone in the next car pulls out a phone.

Sophie leans right into Ryan like it's the most natural thing, posing.

I hear the stranger yell over:

"Aww, you two are so cute! Couple on a trip with your dog—and your own chauffeur, huh?"

Sophie doesn't correct her. She just cracks up and slaps the back of the driver's seat.

"Oh my God, Mia, they think you're our driver! That's hilarious."

"I mean, you kinda are. Faster, driver-lady, I'm starving!"

Ryan laughs along and tells me to step on it.

At the restaurant, Sophie grabs my hand, pulling me out of the car.

"Come on, we came all this way, we can't eat without you. It won't feel right."

"They've got plenty of non-seafood stuff. I'll order for you—your favorites. Deal?"

My stomach growls. My blood sugar's crashing. Fine. I follow them in.

Ryan and Sophie slide into the same side of the booth. Sophie whispers—loud enough for me to catch:

"Be nicer to your girlfriend, dude."

"Yeah, yeah," Ryan mumbles.

Then he flags a waiter and orders hot pot. Doesn't even open a menu.

The food comes. A massive seafood platter parks in the middle of the table—crab, shrimp, scallops, piled up and steaming.

Just looking at it, the bad memories flood back. I can almost feel the phantom squeeze around my throat.

I press my temples.

"Where's what you were supposed to order for me?"

Sophie's face goes big with shock.

"Oh no. Mia. I totally forgot."

The regret looks perfect. But there's a flicker at the corner of her mouth—smug, gone in a blink.

Then she "accidentally" tips a cup of scalding tea. The back of her hand turns red.

Ryan jumps up to dab at it, all tenderness.

"Look at you—always worrying about everyone else and hurting yourself in the process."

"She's so damn sensitive. One bad memory and she'll carry it forever. If you didn't know her, you'd think it was a big deal."

I laugh under my breath. I'm done being sad about this.

I stand up and leave.

Behind me, Sophie hisses:

"I told you to be nicer. Now who's driving us back?"

Ryan snorts. "She'll cool down soon. She always does."

Back at the cabin, Bowie won't listen to a thing I say.

It takes everything I have to drag him inside. Two minutes later he's on the bed—stomping, peeing on the sheets, knocking stuff off shelves.

I can't take it. I lock him in his crate, go find the owner to settle damages, then clean the whole room myself.

By the time I'm done, my back won't straighten. I collapse on the bed and pass out.

My phone rings a few times. I don't answer.

I sleep hard—until I get woken up by giggling and thumping through the wall. Ryan and Sophie are back.

I stomp over, irritated. The door's cracked. Through the gap, I see two shapes tangled on the bed.

Sophie's hair is a mess, her dress bunched up around her waist, and she doesn't even seem to notice. She's whacking Ryan with a pillow. Ryan pulls a blanket over her, one hand cradling her protectively even mid-fight.

Everything about them—easy, natural, borderline domestic.

I let out a bitter little laugh.

This isn't the first time they've been this close.

I've walked in on Sophie in front of Ryan without a bra. Ryan changed his pants right in front of her like it was nothing.

I never thought twice about it. Told myself they were just laid-back people. Free spirits.

But now, watching them curl into each other, I finally get it—

My boyfriend and my best friend have feelings for each other.

They met through me. Got close through me. Now they're falling for each other through me too?

I turn around, walking away with a cold smile.

I should thank this road trip.

Because in one weekend, it showed me exactly who the two people closest to me really are.