The shift didn't go unnoticed.
At first, it was subtle.
Something small, easy to miss if you weren't paying attention. A glance that lingered a second longer than it should have. A smile that came a little too easily. Conversations that didn't end when they were supposed to.
I didn't think much of it.
Not until someone said something.
"You've been smiling more lately."
I looked up from my phone to find Daisy watching me from across the table, her head tilted slightly, her expression somewhere between curious and amused.
"Have I?" I asked, setting my phone down.
"Yeah," she said. "It's… noticeable."
Amy leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she studied me. "It is. And before you say anything—no, it's not subtle."
I frowned slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Mm-hm," Amy hummed, clearly unconvinced.
Daisy exchanged a quick glance with her before turning her attention back to me. "So… Samuel."
There it was.
I let out a small breath. "What about him?"
Amy raised a brow. "You tell us."
"There's nothing to tell," I said, reaching for my drink. "We just work together."
"Right," Daisy said lightly. "And you just happen to sit together at lunch almost every day."
"And leave together," Amy added.
"And somehow end up in the same place even when you're not supposed to," Daisy continued, a hint of laughter in her voice.
I shot them a look. "You're exaggerating."
"Are we?" Amy asked.
I opened my mouth to respond—then stopped.
Because when I actually thought about it…
It didn't feel like an exaggeration.
"We just have similar schedules," I said finally, though the words didn't sound as convincing as I wanted them to.
Daisy smiled faintly. "Of course you do."
I shook my head, looking away as I took a small sip of my drink. "You're both reading too much into it."
"Maybe," Amy said. "But it's still interesting."
I didn't respond.
Because for a second—
I wasn't entirely sure what it was either.
"Does Harley know?" Daisy asked casually.
My hand paused mid-motion.
"Know what?" I said.
Amy tilted her head slightly. "About you and Samuel."
"There is no 'me and Samuel,'" I said quickly.
"Okay," Daisy said, though her tone made it clear she didn't believe me. "But you didn't answer the question."
I exhaled slowly, setting my glass down. "There's nothing to tell him."
"That's not what I asked," Amy said gently.
Silence settled between us.
He would notice.
That thought came uninvited, slipping into my mind before I could push it away.
Because Harley noticed everything.
And if he hadn't said anything yet—
It didn't mean he hadn't seen it.
"Sophie?" Daisy's voice pulled me back.
"I don't know," I admitted quietly.
Amy's expression softened slightly. "You don't have to figure it out right now."
"Yeah," Daisy added. "We're just saying… it's noticeable."
I leaned back in my chair, their words settling in.
Noticeable.
I hadn't thought about it like that.
Hadn't realized that something I hadn't even fully acknowledged yet was already visible to other people.
"It's not a bad thing," Amy said after a moment.
I glanced at her. "It isn't?"
"No," she said. "It just… means something's changing."
I didn't respond right away.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Something was changing.
I just didn't know what that meant yet.
And somehow—
That uncertainty felt heavier than anything else.