S O P H I A H O N E Y

"I WANT to call him."

Alex announces it the moment we step into the café, like she's been holding it in for hours. She doesn't even wait until we've sat down, just blurts it out as we slide into a booth-Blair on one side, me squeezing in next to her, Alex across from us, looking determined.

"Why?" I ask, raising a brow. "Maybe wait until he makes the move."

The guy in question was someone she met during rink practice on Monday. It had been three days since they exchanged numbers, and he had promised to call first.

Alex groans, flopping against the back of the seat. "That will take forever. I need sex now."

Blair and I whip our heads toward her at the exact same time.

"Who are you?" Blair gasps, pressing a dramatic hand to her chest like she might faint. "And when did you start talking like me?"

Then she smirks. "I like this version of you."

Alex rolls her eyes then grins."Take a chill pill. I'm nothing like you. I'm just being blunt since we're all friends."

That word. Friends.

I love when they say that. Every time. It makes me feel like I actually belong here, like they don't just keep me around because they feel bad or because they need a break from their usual chaos. It feels real.

I shake the thought off, refocusing. "Okay... then," I say, drawing out the words. "Why don't you use one of your dildos-"

My lips snap shut. Shit.

Too late.

Alex's head snaps up so fast I swear I hear her neck crack.

"Blair." Her tone is pure accusation.

Blair grins, completely unbothered. "What?"

Alex glares. "Did you tell Soph I have-you know what?"

Blair doesn't even hesitate. "Yep."

Alex's mouth falls open. "Are you kidding me?!"

Blair just shrugs. "You started it by telling her that I have five of them. Did you really think I wouldn't say anything?" She scoffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "It's like you don't even know me."

I press my lips together, trying so hard not to laugh.

"I'll order for us," I announce, standing up before they can rope me into another chaotic conversation.

The line is short, just a few people ahead of me. I glance back at the booth where Blair is still teasing Alex, who's dramatically clutching her forehead like she's about to faint.

I smile to myself.

When it's my turn, I step up to the counter and order a vanilla iced latte, a caramel macchiato, and a chai tea. The guy behind the counter nods, punching it in before moving to make them.

A few minutes later, he slides the drinks toward me. I reach into my pocket for my card when suddenly a hand stretches past me, dropping cash onto the counter.

"Keep the change," a voice says smoothly.

I know that voice.

I turn my head, and its Scott. Standing too close, wearing that easy, confident smile as he waves at me.

"Hey, Sophie."

"Hi." I smile back and notice what's he's putting on. He's wearing a cap-nothing new there. But this time, it's black, pulled low over his dark brown hair, paired with a fitted blue shirt that somehow makes his eyes stand out more.

I'll admit it. He looks good.

Even if I've been avoiding him.

Not in an obvious way, but enough that we haven't had a real conversation since that night. And maybe that's intentional. Maybe it's just easier that way.

"Oh, let me help you with that."

His voice is relax, easygoing, as he grabs the drinks before I can protest. I hesitate for half a second, then step aside, letting him carry them back to the booth.

My fingers curl into my sleeves as I follow.

"Hey, girls."

His smile is effortless as he sets the drinks down, flashing it at Blair and Alex like he hasn't been avoiding them for a while now.

They both greet him back, polite but distant. I don't blame them. It's been a while that they spent time with him since he's been busy with whatever he's doing.

I never told them about the night I realized I was falling too fast, about the way my stomach dropped when I figured out he didn't feel the same.

Because it wasn't worth mentioning.

Because it was just me, getting ahead of myself.

But now, sitting here, Scott slides into the booth next to me, his arm brushing mine, his gaze flicking toward me every few seconds like he's waiting for me to say something.

And I feel...

Nothing.

Weird.

A few weeks ago, he was everything. The guy who made my pulse race, who had me overthinking every text, every glance, every tiny interaction like it meant something.

And now he's sitting right next to me, close enough that I can smell the faint trace of his cologne-something fresh, clean, familiar-and it doesn't hit the way it used to.

He was exactly my type.

And now he's not?

"It's been forever right." He tries to start a conversation and Blair rolls her eyes. "What?"

"You know what, Scott." She huffs, crossing her arms. "You've been ditching us for Stephanie-just admit it."

"I have not." He tries to defend and glances my way but I quickly grab my drink, taking a sip to avoid getting involved.

This isn't my business. It's theirs. They knew each other before I even came to campus, and I get it-the sting of watching your friends slip away for the sake of popularity. I've been there before.

"I've been busy, okay?" He says, and I almost roll my eyes.

"Yeah busy, sucking Stephanie lips." Alex joins the conversation and I see a proud smirk on Blair's face.

He's so busted.

Before Scott can come up with another weak excuse, a voice cuts through our conversation.

"Hey guys!"

A figure slides into the booth beside Scott, forcing me to shift uncomfortably. He does the same, and suddenly, our arms are brushing against each other.

"Stephanie?" Scott's brows furrow, his tone edged with both confusion and irritation. "What are you doing here?"

She rolls her eyes dramatically, chewing her gum loud enough for me to hear from the distance. "I came with some guys and saw you with Alex and Blair.

"And Soph," Blair adds pointedly.

Stephanie turns to me as if she hadn't noticed me until now. Oh, please.

"Oh hey, Sophie," she coos, her smile overly sweet-fake as ever. "Weird. I should have seen you, considering your siz-"

"Steph." Scott stops her. "Can we talk outside?" She glares at him, and it's obvious-there's trouble in paradise. "Now."

"Fine," she huffs, sliding out of the booth with a dramatic toss of her hair. Scott follows after her without another word.

"He should've let her finish," Alex mutters, swirling the straw in her drink. "I was ready to pour this all over her."

"Same here." Blair grips her own drink like she actually might.

I shake my head, laughing lightly despite the lingering unease in my chest. "You guys, it's fine. She's gone now."

Blair isn't convinced. "But you know what she was about to say-"

"I know." I force a small smile. "Trust me, her words aren't nearly as bad as what I dealt with in high school."

The memory tries to creep in, but I shove it back down. I was never a target for pranks, but the words? Those cut deep. Deep enough that I barely scraped through an entire semester, drowning under their weight.

"Besides, if you guys actually threw your drinks at her, how would you hang out with her later?" I add, half-joking, half-curious. "Girls like her don't forgive easily."

A look passes between Alex and Blair before they both turn to me.

"Soph," Alex starts carefully. "We stopped hanging out with her a few days after you got here."

I blink. "What?"

Blair nods. "Yeah. She kept talking shit about you for no reason-saying you could never steal 'her man.'" She even throws up air quotes at the last part, rolling her eyes. "That girl is insane. And the only reason she's with Scott? It's not even about him. She just wants to get closer to logan and some of the hockey guys."

"That's... pretty cruel." I say, looking back and seeing glimpses of them talking outside from the window.

"Meh." Blair shrugs, swirling the straw in her drink. "Scott had it coming, choosing her over us. Such is life." She punctuates the statement with a long sip, completely unbothered.

We let the conversation about Scott and Stephanie die, shifting to other topics-weekend plans, upcoming games, random campus drama. Laughter fills the booth, the tension easing, until Scott returns.

Alone.

He slides in beside me, and I instinctively tense. There's enough space for him to sit somewhere else, but he doesn't.

I should tell him to move, but before I can, a group of familiar faces-two girls and a guy-spot us and decide to join. The booth isn't big enough for all of us, so some of them pull up chairs, squeezing into our circle. Soon, multiple conversations overlap, the noise level rising.

"So, how's everything going, Soph?" His voice cuts through the chatter, and when I glance at him, he's looking at me properly-too properly. Like he's been waiting for a moment to talk.

"Uh, good." I let out a small chuckle, hesitating. "It's been a while, huh?"

Something about the way he's watching me makes my stomach twist. His gaze is... off. Not his usual easygoing expression, but something else-curious? Wary? I can't tell, but it makes me want to scoot away.

Except I can't.

So, I sit still, forcing myself to meet his eyes, waiting for whatever he's about to say.

"Oh, mind me asking-are you friends with Tory?"

The question catches me off guard. "Tory?" I blink. "Not really. Why?"

Scott tilts his head. "Really? Because I see you talking to her a lot."

I shrug. "That's because I work for her."

His brow furrows. "You do?"

"Yeah. You work for her too, so why is it weird that I talk to her?" I arch a brow, challenging him.

Scott shifts slightly, suddenly looking defensive. "It's not that." He shakes his head. "I just... noticed you with her in a particular class when we don't have classes. And you always have your camera with you."

Oh.

He must be talking about the times I visit Tory to show her pictures of Theo. Ever since practice, she's been asking me to take photos of him-candids, posed shots, even some from the rink. Theo doesn't mind. In fact, he's been surprisingly chill about it.

More than chill.

I bite my lip, the memory of yesterday flashing back-the moment Theo had walked onto his balcony, fresh out of the shower, a towel slung low around his hips. Sunlight hitting his damp skin, water droplets trailing down sculpted muscle. He had barely acknowledged his state of undress, just ran a hand through his wet hair and smirked as he let me take the shot.

I don't even know why, but my gaze had dipped lower, lingering-almost hoping to see...

Oh god.

Heat rushes to my face, mortification creeping in. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Hey." Scott's voice snaps me back to reality. I blink, realizing he's watching me closely. "You okay? Your face is kinda red. What were you thinking about?"

Shit.

I grip my drink tighter, willing my expression to stay neutral. "Nothing."

Liar.

I take another sip of my drink, ignoring Scott's curious glances. He looks like he's about to say something again, and it's starting to get on my nerves. Why does he keep trying to get my attention? I thought he was all good with Stephanie. If they're arguing and he's trying to use me as a rebound, he's got a long way to go because I don't feel even the slightest urge to entertain him.

I mean, sure, I had this whole checklist in my head-the typical college experience, right? Hooking up with a hot guy, no strings attached, just to get it out of my system. And for a while, Scott seemed like a solid candidate. I was into it. But now? I don't feel a damn thing.

I try to picture it-his lips on mine, his hands roaming over my body-and nothing. It's like my brain just rejects the idea altogether. The spark is gone.

Except... it's not gone entirely.

Because lately, my body has been craving something-or should I say, someone?

No. No way. That's not possible.

But then, my mind betrays me. The thought of Theo's hands on me, the way they'd feel gripping my waist. His lips, so close to my ear, his breath hot against my skin. The weight of his body pressing me down, pinning me beneath him-

Oh, God.

I want him to fuck me.

"Shit." The realization slams into me like a slap to the face. Could I really want that?

No, this is just me overthinking things. I'm just... horny. That's all. It doesn't mean anything.

Except, if that's true, why is Theo the only one I can think about?

I need to get laid, and somehow, he's the only one who comes to mind.

This is not good.

"Guys, look," one of the girls says, her voice lowering as she nudges her chin toward a booth. "Is that not Scott's cousin and his friends?"

My head snaps up before anyone else's. Sure enough, Logan is sitting with a few of the hockey guys, some of whom I recognize from the rink.

But my eyes skim right past them, searching for someone else. Someone who isn't there.

"Where's Theo?" I hear the girl ask, disappointment in her voice. "That's who I wanna see."

"What? My cousin isn't your type anymore?" Scott teases, his tone dripping with mockery.

"He was," she says with a shrug. "But everyone knows he's taken."

"Then what about Jaxon?" Blair suggests, and I don't miss the flicker of something-annoyance?-that crosses Alex's face before she schools her expression.

"He's single," Blair adds.

"And has probably slept with half the campus," Alex mutters into her drink. "He's gotta have syphilis by now."

Blair smirks. "How do you know? Did you get it from him?"

"Fuck you." Alex flips her off, and we all laugh it off, the conversation flowing back into its usual rhythm.

Then the girl points toward the entrance. "Oh, looks who's here now."

I don't even have to look. I feel it-the shift in the air, the way my skin prickles with awareness.

But I look anyway.

And there he is.

I don't know why I've never really noticed just how tall he is. He's huge-broad shoulders, built like a damn machine, but not in an over-the-top way. It's just enough to make you look twice, to make you know, without a doubt, that he owns it.

Theo moves toward the booth, his gaze scanning the café with his usual frown. Then, just like that, his expression changes. A fake smile, smooth and effortless, as one of his friends says something to him.

"I want that," one of the girls breathes, practically drooling.

The guys roll their eyes, while her friend and Blair let out a wistful sigh of agreement.

"I wonder what his workout routine is," the girl muses.

I swallow hard, fighting the urge to answer. To tell her how I've seen it firsthand. How I've woken up in the middle of the night, only to find him outside, doing one-handed pull-ups like it's nothing. How, in the early mornings, I've caught him skipping rope endlessly, beads of sweat rolling down his bare torso, his focus sharp and unshakable.

How I've been thirsting over him without even realizing it.

I should be irritated. I should be rolling my eyes at myself, because seriously-this is Theo. The guy who drives me absolutely insane, both mentally and physically.

But instead, I feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

"Soph."

Scott's voice cuts through my thoughts. I blink, turning to him as he shifts closer, lowering his head near mine so that our cheeks almost touch.

"Check this camera out," he says, showing me his phone. "I'm thinking of buying it. What do you think?"

"Uh-um, sure. It's not bad," I mumble, staring at Scott's phone, pretending to care about whatever camera he's showing me.

I shift slightly, trying to put some distance between us, but it's useless. Being on the curvier side, I already take up more than my fair share of space in the booth, and I don't want to accidentally press into Blair. So, I stay still, trying not to be obvious about how uncomfortable I feel.

"Oh, sorry," Scott says suddenly, and before I can react, I feel his fingers brush against my skin, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

My body goes rigid.

"Sorry, it was itching me for a bit."

Oh... what?

I force out a breath, trying to shake off the way my skin crawls at his touch. It's not even that it was inappropriate-technically, it wasn't-but it feels... off.

Like I don't want him touching me. Like I want someone else's hands on me instead.

Oh God.

My phone vibrates in my lap. Grateful for the distraction, I glance down, and my stomach flips when I see the name on the screen.

Theo: What the fuck is cap boy doing?

I blink, reading it twice. Then, as if on cue, I look up toward the booth across the café.

He's already looking at me.

And he looks fucking pissed.

His jaw is clenched, his fingers gripping the glass in front of him so tightly that I swear it might crack. The muscles in his forearm flex, tension radiating off him even from across the room.

Heat rushes to my face, and before I can stop myself, my thumbs move over the keyboard.

Me: Mind your business, Theo.

I hit send, glancing back up at him.

His expression doesn't change. If anything, his eyes darken, like my response only fuels whatever fire is already burning inside him.

A second later, my phone buzzes again.

Theo: I'd love to. Except it's kinda hard when that guy is acting like he's got the right to touch you.

My heart slams against my ribs, my fingers tightening around my phone. I exhale, trying to shove down the strange warmth curling in my stomach as I type out a response.

Me: It's fine. There's no space, that's why.

I hit send, then instantly regret it.

Why am I explaining myself? Why does it feel like I need him to understand that this-whatever this is-means nothing?

My phone vibrates again, his reply cutting through my thoughts like a blade.

Theo: Then tell him to grab a fucking chair like the rest of your friends are doing.

Good point. Why am I sitting here like this, pretending it's normal? Why am I letting Scott lean in, letting him touch me when I don't want him to?

My phone buzzes again.

Theo: And why does it look like he wants to kiss you? Do you want him to kiss you?

My eyes widen, my throat tightening.

What the fuck?

I glance up, my gaze flickering across the café before I find him.

Theo is still watching me.

His jaw is tight, his shoulders tense, and there's something dark in his eyes-something sharp and possessive that sends a shiver down my spine.

Me: Why would you say that? Nothing is happening.

My fingers tremble slightly as I send it.

His reply comes almost instantly.

Theo: You look like you want to run. And he's creeping you out, right?

I swallow hard.

He's right.

Scott is creeping me out, but I've been trying to ignore it, to brush it off like it's nothing. Like I don't feel the weight of his attention lingering too long. Like I don't feel the discomfort pressing against my skin like a warning.

Me: I'm fine, Theo. Stop looking at me.

Theo: Liar and you know I can't stop.

I bite my lip, shifting slightly in my seat, trying to ignore the way my stomach tightens.

This is stupid.

He shouldn't care.

And I shouldn't be enjoying the way he clearly does.

"Soph?"

Scott's voice cuts through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.

I blink up at him, my heart still hammering, my fingers gripping my phone like it's the only thing keeping me grounded.

He's still holding out his phone, still waiting for some kind of reaction from me.

"Uh-yeah, yeah. I like the frame, maybe I'll buy it too." I say quickly, barely processing what I'm agreeing to. I just need him to stop talking. I just need him to stop looking at me-because my focus is elsewhere.

Because my phone buzzes again.

Theo: Make an excuse and head to the restroom.

I inhale sharply.

Me: What?

Theo: You read it correctly. If I count to five and you don't make an excuse to leave, I'm coming over there and causing a scene.

My breath catches.

Theo: You know I will.

And I do.

I absolutely do.

Theo doesn't bluff. Theo doesn't pretend.

This isn't a joke.

"Soph, who's texting you?"

I snap my head toward Scott just in time to see him leaning slightly toward me, eyes flickering down to my phone like he's trying to peek at my messages.

My stomach twists.

"Um, could you back up a bit?" My voice is firm, sharper than I expect.

Scott blinks, clearly surprised. "Oh, uh-sorry." He shifts back, but barely.

My phone buzzes again, and I curse under my breath.

Theo: Two seconds, Soph.

I don't have two seconds.

I barely have one.

Because when I lift my gaze back toward the booth, Theo is already standing up.

My pulse is out of control. I fumble with my phone, typing fast.

Me: I'm going.

I hit send, sucking in a breath before glancing up again.

Theo is still watching me, his body tense like he's ready to move-but then he sees the message.

And he sits back down.

Just like that.

Like he was never about to storm over here and tear Scott away from me. Like he wasn't seconds from making a scene.

A slow, hidden smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as his phone buzzes in his hand. Then he tilts his head slightly, his eyes locked onto mine as his next message appears on my screen.

Theo: Good girl.

I shouldn't react to those words. I shouldn't feel the heat curling in my stomach, the sudden sharp awareness that he's watching me, controlling the situation with nothing but a few texts.

I shouldn't feel this... thrill

I swallow hard, gripping my phone tighter, forcing my face to stay neutral.

I should not like this.

But I do.

I really fucking do.

After inhaling sharply, I push myself up and mumbling something about needing the restroom to the guys.

But as I walk away, I can feel him watching me.

And God help me, I kind of like it.