...
I couldn't focus on anything anymore.
Not on Mia's voice.
Not on the room.
Not even on my own thoughts.
All I could hear was that one message in my head—
"Marvel?"
How did he know?
I slowly lifted my head, my eyes drifting toward the door. It was slightly open, just enough to show that someone had stepped out not too long ago.
Marvel.
My heart started beating faster.
Something wasn't adding up.
"Mia," I called softly.
"Hm?" she turned, still sitting cross-legged on her bed.
"Where did she go?"
Mia shrugged. "Maybe she went to take a call."
A call.
Of course.
That made my chest tighten even more.
My phone buzzed again.
Sami.
"Is she there with you?"
I stared at the message, my fingers hovering over the screen.
"She just stepped out," I typed slowly.
Almost immediately, he replied:
"Hmm."
Just that.
No explanation.
No follow-up.
Just hmm.
That irritated me more than I expected.
I locked my phone and dropped it beside me, trying to act normal, but my mind was already spiraling.
Why did he sound like that?
Why did she leave immediately after hearing his name?
And why did it feel like I was the only one who didn't know what was going on?
The door opened again.
Marvel walked in like nothing had happened.
Calm. Composed.
Like she hadn't just disappeared right after my boyfriend's name came up.
She didn't even look at me.
Just went straight to her bed and sat down.
I watched her for a few seconds.
Then I spoke.
"But… you said you guys didn't date."
My voice was calm. Too calm.
The room went quiet.
Mia immediately turned, her eyes moving between both of us.
Marvel paused for a second… then slowly looked up at me.
"I said what?"
"You said you were just friends," I replied, sitting up properly now. "But he said you're his ex."
For a split second—
Just a second—
I saw it.
That tiny flicker in her eyes.
Caught.
But it disappeared just as quickly as it came.
She scoffed.
"I didn't see him as my boyfriend," she said casually, flipping her hair back.
I frowned. "What does that even mean?"
"It means," she continued, her tone sharper now, "even if we had something, it wasn't that serious. And it's over. So why should I start explaining labels?"
Mia blinked, clearly confused. "But you just said—"
"I said what I said," Marvel cut in.
I stared at her.
Nothing about what she was saying made sense.
Not the words.
Not the tone.
Not the attitude.
"So… you dated?" I asked again, my voice quieter now.
She shrugged.
"Call it whatever you want."
That answer irritated me more than anything else.
Because it wasn't an answer.
It was avoidance.
I picked up my phone again.
My fingers moved faster this time.
"Did you guys date?" I texted Sami.
The reply came almost immediately.
"Yes."
My heart dropped.
Just like that.
No hesitation.
No hiding.
Just the truth.
I looked up slowly.
Marvel was watching me now.
Not directly.
But I could feel it.
"You lied," I said quietly.
The room went silent again.
Mia shifted uncomfortably.
Marvel didn't respond immediately.
Then she let out a small laugh.
"You're taking this too seriously."
Too seriously?
I almost laughed.
"I'm not trying to fight you," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I just don't like being lied to."
She rolled her eyes. "Nobody lied to you."
"You said you didn't date."
"I said it wasn't serious."
"That's not the same thing."
For the first time, her expression changed slightly.
Not soft.
Not apologetic.
Just… annoyed.
"Look," she said, sitting up straighter now. "Whatever happened between me and him is in the past. I don't care about him. So you shouldn't either."
That sentence sat heavily in the air.
You shouldn't either.
I held her gaze for a moment.
Then I nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Mia looked between us again, clearly unsure of what to say.
But I was done.
I didn't want drama.
I didn't want unnecessary tension.
Especially not in a place I had to live in.
"I'm not fighting you over a guy," I added calmly. "We can be cool."
Marvel studied me for a second… then nodded slightly.
"Good. Because I don't fight."
That almost made me smile.
You don't fight… or you just don't fight directly?
The conversation ended there.
But the feeling didn't.
Later that night, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Mia had fallen asleep.
Cassie wasn't around.
Marvel was on her phone, the faint glow lighting up her face.
I turned slightly…
And caught her staring at me.
Our eyes met for a brief second.
Then she looked away quickly.
Like nothing happened.
But I knew what I saw.
And in that moment…
I realized something I couldn't ignore anymore—
Living with your boyfriend's ex was one thing.
But living with someone who could lie so easily…
Was something else entirely.