The hostel room was dim, lit only by the small lamp on Mia's desk.
Jane pushed open the door, kicking off her shoes and dropping her bag with a heavy sigh.
Mia looked up from her laptop, eyes widening. "Oh my God, you're alive."
Jane managed a tired smile. "Barely."
"Come here. Sit. Tell me everything." Mia patted the bed beside her, already closing her laptop. "And I mean everything. Don't leave out a single detail."
Jane sat down, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees. "It was... intense."
"Intense good or intense bad?"
"Both."
Mia studied her for a moment, then stood. "Okay. You need food. I ordered dumplings an hour ago because I knew you'd come back starving and emotionally destroyed."
Jane laughed softly. "You know me too well."
"I do." Mia grabbed the takeout containers from her desk and handed one to Jane along with chopsticks. "Now eat. And talk."
They sat cross-legged on Jane's bed, the food warm and comforting between them.
Jane took a bite, chewing slowly, gathering her thoughts.
"Sophia's stepmother hates me," she said finally.
Mia's eyes widened. "Hate? Like, passive-aggressive hate or actual hate?"
"Actual hate. She basically told me I wasn't good enough. That two women together was... unnatural. That I couldn't give Sophia children or a real future."
"What a—" Mia bit back the word, her expression darkening. "I'm sorry. That's horrible."
"It was." Jane's voice was quiet. "But I held my own. I think."
"Of course you did. You're a badass." Mia nudged her gently. "What about Sophia? How was she?"
Jane's expression softened. "She was... protective. Stood up to her stepmother. We left early because of it."
"Good. She should've thrown wine in that woman's face, but leaving works too."
Jane smiled despite herself.
Mia tilted her head, studying Jane's face. "Okay, but something else happened. I can see it. You've got that look."
"What look?"
"The 'I'm trying not to think about something but I can't stop thinking about it' look." Mia grinned. "Spill."
Jane set down her chopsticks, her cheeks warming. "I kissed her. On the cheek. Before I got out of the car."
Mia's jaw dropped. "You WHAT?"
"Just on the cheek," Jane said quickly. "It wasn't... I mean, it was just—"
"A kiss is a kiss, Jane!" Mia's grin widened. "Oh my God. What did she do?"
"Nothing. She just... froze."
"Froze good or froze bad?"
"I don't know." Jane buried her face in her hands. "I panicked and got out of the car before she could say anything."
Mia laughed, delighted. "You're killing me. This is amazing."
"It's not amazing. It's terrifying."
"It's both." Mia leaned back, looking far too pleased. "Jane, you kissed Dr. Fancy Car. On purpose. Do you know what that means?"
"That I'm an idiot?"
"That you're in love with her."
Jane's breath caught.
Mia's expression softened. "You are, aren't you?"
Jane didn't answer right away. She just stared at the dumpling container in her lap, her chest tight.
"I don't know," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe."
"Jane." Mia reached over, squeezing her hand. "It's okay to feel this. Even if it's scary."
"But it's supposed to be fake."
"Yeah, well, feelings don't care about plans."
Jane looked up, her eyes glistening slightly. "What if she doesn't feel the same?"
"What if she does?"
Jane swallowed hard, then shook her head. "It doesn't matter. This ends after the dinner. That was the deal."
Mia watched her for a long moment. "Does it have to?"
Jane didn't have an answer for that.
They ate in silence for a while, the comfort of friendship filling the space words couldn't.
Finally, Mia spoke again, softer now. "For what it's worth? I think she feels the same."
Jane looked at her. "Why?"
"Because no one looks at someone the way she looked at you at that café unless they're already halfway gone."
Jane's chest ached.
She wanted to believe it.
But she wasn't sure she could.
Sophia stood in her apartment, still wearing the clothes from dinner, staring at nothing.
The silence pressed in around her.
She'd driven home on autopilot, her mind replaying the same moment over and over.
Jane leaning in.
The soft press of lips against her cheek.
The warmth that had bloomed there and refused to fade.
Sophia's hand came up, fingers brushing the spot.
It still felt warm.
She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.
Did Jane like her?
Or was it just part of the performance?
But if it was pretend, she would've done it at the house. In front of Marissa. In front of her father.
Not here. Not in the quiet privacy of the car, when no one was watching.
Sophia opened her eyes, her heart thudding.
It had been real.
Hadn't it?
A soft laugh escaped her lips—surprised, almost giddy.
Then she caught herself, pressing her hand to her mouth as if to stifle the sound.
"Stop it," she muttered to herself. "You're being ridiculous."
But the smile wouldn't go away.
She walked to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of wine, then changed her mind and grabbed the bottle instead.
Twenty minutes later, Sophia sank into the warm water of her bathtub, the lights dimmed, a glass of wine balanced on the edge.
Steam rose around her, softening the sharp edges of the day.
She leaned her head back against the porcelain, closing her eyes.
But even here—even in the quiet, in the warmth—she couldn't escape it.
Jane.
The way she'd looked in that dress. The way she'd stood her ground against Marissa.
The way her voice had softened when she'd said, He's not you.
Sophia's chest tightened.
She took a sip of wine, letting the warmth slide down her throat.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
This was supposed to be simple. A favor. A lie to get Marissa off her back.
But somewhere along the way, it had stopped being a lie.
Or maybe it never had been.
Sophia set the glass down, her fingers trailing through the water.
She thought about Jane's smile.
The way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she cared about.
The way she'd looked at Sophia tonight—like she mattered. Like she was more than just her last name or her career.
Sophia's breath hitched.
I'm in trouble, she thought.
Deep, irreversible trouble.
Her phone buzzed on the counter beside the tub.
She ignored it at first, sinking deeper into the water.
It buzzed again.
Then again.
With a sigh, Sophia reached over, water dripping from her hand as she grabbed the phone.
Ethan.
Her stomach dropped.
She almost didn't answer.
But curiosity—and a sense of dread—got the better of her.
She swiped to accept the call, bringing the phone to her ear. "What do you want, Ethan?"
"Well, hello to you too." His voice was light, teasing. "I'm calling to say thank you."
"For what?"
"For introducing me to Jane. She's amazing, Soph. Seriously. Smart, beautiful, funny—"
Sophia's jaw tightened. "Ethan—"
"I'm thinking of asking her out. You know, officially. Take her to dinner, show her around the city. Maybe the museum? She seems like the type who'd appreciate that."
Sophia's grip on the phone tightened. "You're not serious."
"Why wouldn't I be? You said she was great. And you're right. She is."
"Ethan, you barely know her."
"So? That's what dates are for. Getting to know someone." He paused, his tone shifting slightly. "Unless... there's a reason I shouldn't?"
Sophia's heart thudded. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you agreed to put in a good word. Remember? Or are you going back on that?"
Sophia closed her eyes, her chest tight. "No. I'm not."
"Good. So, can I get her number?"
"What?"
"Her number. You have it, right? Just text it to me."
Sophia's mind raced. "I—I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Because—" Sophia stopped herself. What could she say? That the thought of Ethan texting Jane made her want to throw her phone across the room? That she couldn't stand the idea of him anywhere near her?
"Because she's going through a lot right now," Sophia said finally. "With school. And work. She doesn't need distractions."
Ethan laughed. "I'm not a distraction. I'm a good time. Come on, sis. Help a guy out."
"Ethan—"
"Or I could just show up at that café she works at. What was it called? Ben's, right?"
Sophia's blood went cold. "Don't."
"Then give me her number."
Sophia sat there, the water around her feeling suddenly too hot, too suffocating.
She wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him to back off, to leave Jane alone.
But she couldn't.
Because he held her secret. And he'd use it if she pushed too hard.
"I'll... think about it," Sophia said finally, her voice hollow.
"That's all I'm asking." Ethan's tone was smug now. "Thanks, sis. You're the best."
He hung up.
Sophia stared at the phone, her chest heaving.
Then, slowly, she set it down on the counter.
Her hands were shaking.
She sank deeper into the water, closing her eyes.
But the warmth was gone now.
All that was left was the cold, creeping realization that she'd just agreed to help Ethan pursue the one person she couldn't stop thinking about.
The one person she was falling for.
And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Sophia stayed in the tub until the water went cold.
Until the wine bottle was half-empty.
Until the only thing left was the ache in her chest and the memory of Jane's lips against her cheek.
And even then, she couldn't bring herself to move.
Because moving meant facing the truth.
That this wasn't pretend anymore.
And she had no idea what to do about it.