My phone buzzed in my pocket, a reminder about my upcoming Pathology exam.

"Sophie!"

I glanced up from my phone to see Nia from my Organic Chem class jogging toward me. She had a stack of flyers in one hand and two pens sticking out of her bun like antennae.

She was one of those people who managed to balance fifteen commitments and still remembered your birthday. I liked her. I also feared her.

"Got a second?" she asked, already smiling like she knew the answer.

"For you? Always," I said, trying not to sound as tired as I felt.

She grinned. "So, we've got this community health initiative, student-led and Pre-Med focus. We're partnering with one of the local middle schools to run a workshop on injury prevention and basic first aid. You know, stop-the-bleed kits, that kind of thing."

I nodded, interested despite myself.

"We need someone to head it. You'd be perfect. You've already done clinicals, and your name came up in the planning meeting."

I blinked. "Wait, head it?"

"You'd work with the other volunteers, maybe assign sections, coordinate with the school nurse. Nothing huge. Just a few meetings, a materials check, and the main event next Friday."

Next Friday. The same week as my path exam. And Bryce's appointment. And Clayton's Bio exam.

My brain was already doing the math I didn't want to do.

"I mean, if you can't," Nia said quickly, "I totally get it. But everyone respects you. You've got presence. And organization. It'd run smoother with someone like you at the helm."

I wanted to say no.

I should've said no.

Instead, I heard myself say, "Yeah. Okay. I can do that."

Nia beamed. "You're the best. I'll shoot you the doc with the meeting schedule."

She waved as she turned down the hall, already moving on to something else.

I stood staring after her, feeling the weight of the day rest on my shoulders. Just another thing to add to my already full plate.

This is everything that young Sophie wanted. But current Sophie isn't sure how much more she can take.

~*~

I was elbow-deep in notes, study guides, and a stack of untouched to-do lists when the front door banged open.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as Dawson took off running, his tail thumping against the cabinets as he barked.

"SOPHIE!" Bryce's voice rang out, loud and bright in a way I hadn't heard in weeks.

I blinked down at my open laptop, still reading the same sentence I'd started ten minutes ago. My brain was sludge. I hadn't eaten since the protein coffee I downed between lectures, and I still had an entire workshop outline to draft before tomorrow.

Bryce's footsteps echoed down the hall. A second later, he was standing in the doorway, cheeks flushed and eyes wide.

"They named me starting pitcher."

It took a moment for the words to register.

And then I was off the couch, running toward him. He caught me, spinning me around with a loud cheer.

"Babe! Congratulations!"

Bryce had been working his ass off to be named starting pitcher for two years. The former pitcher had graduated last year, and it was down to Bryce and his competitor, Steven.

"I'm starting next week. First game of the season. Coach told me this afternoon."

"That's incredible! You're incredible."

He put me down, the smile still stretched across his face, cheeks flushed. It was the kind of full-body joy that I hadn't seen from him in weeks. No headache, no fatigue, no half-distant smiles. Just him.

His arms slid around my waist. "I want to go out. Dinner, drinks. The whole works. Just us."

My heart squeezed. Because the truth was, I had no time. No energy. I needed to be outlining anatomy case studies and reviewing med terms I could barely pronounce right now.

But he was glowing.

He hadn't been himself in so long, it was hard to deny how contagious his energy was. The smile that spread across my own face just staring at him.

I stood up on my tiptoes, kissing his cheek. "Let me change into something that doesn't have a coffee stain on it."

His smile could've lit up the whole house. "You're the best. We are getting the truffle fries this time. No arguments."

"Never argued. I just pointed out they were overpriced."

He was already halfway down the hall. "Celebration money doesn't count."

I shook my head, following him to grab something clean from my closet.

This wasn't convenient. It wasn't smart. I was going to regret it the moment I sat back down at my desk and remembered everything I still had to do.

But right now?

We were happy. And I wanted to hold onto that for as long as I could.

Bryce drove with one hand wrapped around mine, his good mood catching as he sang along with the radio.

It was hard not to laugh as he belted to the high notes.

The restaurant was one of Bryce's favorite spots. One of those trendy downtown restaurants with moody lighting and a curated menu.

He ordered the truffle fries before we even looked at the menu, and when they arrived, he practically clapped.

I held up my glass of water. "To my amazing boyfriend, who can do anything he puts his mind to."

He held up his glass of Coke. "To my amazing girlfriend, I love you."

I couldn't help but study him as he skimmed the menu. His fingers drummed the table like they always did when he was excited. But I also saw the way he rolled his shoulders more than usual. The way he blinked just a little too slowly between words.

The shine in his eyes was real. So was the exhaustion creeping in underneath it.

He rubbed his temple absentmindedly and shifted in his seat like something in his back was starting to ache.

I couldn't help but ask. "You okay?" I leaned forward, reaching my hand across the table to grasp his.

"I'm great," he said, without looking up. "Just hungry."

"You sure?"

He looked up, catching the concern in my face. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"The worry-eyes. The Dr. Allen thing."

I squeezed his hand, trying to push down the swirling anxiety. "I worry about you because I love you."

He hummed, squeezing my hand. "I know. It's just been a long day. I'm running on adrenaline and truffle oil."

He forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes the same way.

I let it go. For now.

We ordered burgers and Bryce launched into a full play-by-play of practice that afternoon. How Coach had pulled him aside. How the rest of the team reacted. How it felt to hear his name tied to the word "starter" for the first time in his college career.

And the worry slipped away as I got lost into the world of Bryce Harrison. His infectious smile and building passion.

It was almost enough to make me forget the way that he nearly slumped over after dinner, his hand cradling his drink as though it was the only thing keeping him afloat.

I leaned across the table, taking his hand again. "Let's take the dessert to-go. We can eat it at home in sweatpants."

He blinked, and for a split second, I saw relief in his eyes.

"Yeah," he said. "That sounds good."

~*~

The mug in my hand was still warm when I pushed open the sliding door to the back porch, craving five minutes of silence and something close to air.

Everything in my life was stifling. I just needed a breath of something fresh and a moment of silence.

I didn't expect anyone else to be out here.

Clayton and Jayden were already seated outside, in the midst of a conversation with low-tones.

"I'm just saying," Clayton said, "that if you have to sleep in my bed every night, the situation isn't handled."

"Did it ever occur to you that I like sleeping in your bed?"

"Shut up, Jayden. I'm serious."

They didn't notice me right away.

I stood there, frozen in the threshold, mug halfway to my lips, unsure whether to step forward or retreat.

This was my break. My one sliver of peace after a fourteen-hour day. The only quiet corner of the house that wasn't filled with someone needing something.

But it was clearly something for them too.

Jayden turned his head first, his expression flickering with something unreadable when he saw me.

Clayton looked over a second later, his shoulders going taut the way they always did when his walls went up.

"Sorry," I said, holding up my mug. "They're having a Big Brother watch party in there. And I've been at the hospital shadowing today, I can't listen to them."

Please let me stay.

"We were talking about something stupid," Jayden said, with a smile. "You sound like you've had a long day. Come join us."

"Something stupid?" Clayton muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. "Got it."

I sat at the other end of the porch, curling my legs under me as I sipped my tea, taking in deep breaths.

I had so much on my plate back inside. It was nice to have a moment of reprieve.

Jayden didn't say anything right away. He went back to pulling at the fraying edge of his hoodie sleeve.

Clayton stared out into the backyard, jaw tight, leg bouncing. The silence stretched thin, waiting for someone to break it.

I didn't push. I just sipped my tea, watching the condensation slip down the sides of the mug.

Dawson scratched at the door a minute later, and Clayton stood without a word to let him out. The dog bounded across the yard, chasing absolutely nothing like it was a full-time job.

Jayden glanced at me sideways. "So ... you surviving?"

"Barely." My voice was rougher than I meant it to be. "I watched a patient lose mobility in both legs this morning. His wife kept asking if he'd be able to walk again and I couldn't say anything. Just stood there like a prop."

Jayden nodded slowly, the easy joking in his posture fading. "That sucks."

"That's the whole job," I said. "You stand there, quietly absorbing whatever someone else can't carry."

Clayton sat back down without a word, but he didn't look at me or Jayden. Just folded his arms and leaned into the side of the porch post like he was trying to become part of it.

Jayden's eyes flicked toward him. "You good?"

"Yeah, like you said, it was stupid."

Jayden's lips pursed, clearly annoyed. "You know what I meant."

"Not sure I do."

The words hung in the air, neither of them looking at each other.

I let out a long sigh. "Do I need to go inside for you two to finish this?"

Jayden smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No. You should stay. We've been hashing the same conversation for days. We needed a break."

Clayton's jaw worked for a second. "There's no space in this house to have the conversation."

"Now that we can agree on," Jayden said, his smile easing.

I took another sip of tea, letting the moment breathe.

No one said anything else.

But none of us left.

~*~

I wasn't used to being on this side of campus. But tracking down Clayton had proven to be more challenging than I'd originally planned for.

And I needed to talk to him outside of the house, away from prying ears.

I found him seated on the bus bench, waiting to take the shuttle to the other side of campus. His earbuds were in and sunglasses on, clearly in a position that he didn't want to be bothered.

I walked up to him anyways.

He slowly reached up, pulling out an ear bud. "Are you following me?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"No." He put his ear bud back in, leaning back.

I let out a long sigh, already annoyed by having to do this. "Just a minute."

He groaned, pulling his ear bud out again. "Because you tutored me, you get sixty seconds."

Close enough to permission. I sat down next to him.

He didn't acknowledge it.

I stared out across the quad, forcing myself not to launch right in. "You've known Bryce longer than I have."

"If you're trying to get embarrassing childhood stories, you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm a time vault."

I shook my head. "Have you noticed anything ... off?"

He reached over, pulling his other ear bud out. "Define off."

"The headaches, the fatigue, zoning out mid-conversation, just to name a few."

Clayton was silent a few moments, before sliding off his sunglasses and turning to look at me. "Maybe he's just tired. We're all tired."

"You haven't noticed anything?"

"I didn't say that."

Of course not. Talking to Clayton was like arguing with a locked door. A locked door that occasionally barked at you.

"Then what are you saying?" I asked, trying to bite back my exhaustion toward this conversation.

He exhaled through his nose, clearly annoyed. "I'm saying I've got my own shit going on. I'm not exactly taking notes on everyone else's behavior."

"Meaning Jayden?"

I immediately regretted saying it, the way that Clayton's eyes flashed and he slid his sunglasses back on. "Fucking. Don't."

I needed to pivot the conversation back on topic, before I lost Clayton entirely. "I'm not trying to pry. Bryce won't talk to me about what's going on. He brushes it off or changes the subject, and I'm left trying to figure out whether I'm imagining things or if something's actually wrong."

"I'm not your informant, Sophie."

"I'm not asking you to spy on him. I'm asking if you've seen something that confirms what I already know."

He didn't answer right away. I could see his jaw working, like the words were there but he didn't want to hand them over.

"Yes," Clayton said, after several moments of silence.

"Yes, what?" I questioned.

"Yes, I have noticed he's been off. No, I haven't talked to him about it. Yes, I will pay more attention."

And that was it. That was all I was getting.

"Will you tell me if you notice anything?"

No response.

Of course.

"Great. Good talk." I stood up, turning back to look at him. "I love him too, you know."

Clayton groaned. "Jesus Christ. Yes, yes, yes. I will do the thing you're asking me to do. Can I listen to my podcast in peace, now?"

"Only if you tell me what podcast it is."

He flashed his phone toward me. 10% Happier.

"And I continue to be confused by you."

"Good," Clayton said, as he slipped his earbuds back in. "I like to remain a mystery."

~*~

I do have to admit, Clayton's podcast did inspire me to start listening to one of my own.

Between commutes and long days, it was nice having a mental break of listening to two girls chat away on Pretty Basic.

Very different than Clayton's podcast choice. But fit my needs perfectly.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as the buzzer went off for the laundry, forgetting that I'd set it just an hour ago.

Kylie walked past me with a grin, pulling the laundry basket out like she was born for domesticity. "Relax. It's just fabric being aggressively fluffed."

We'd been doing homework together, in a way that neither one of us spoke, but we enjoyed each other's company.

"I've been on edge for three days straight. I think my nervous system is permanently on high alert."

She plopped the basket onto the living room rug and sat cross-legged beside it. "Well, lucky for you, I've got matching socks and the smell of lavender dryer sheets."

I followed her lead, sinking to the floor. "That might be the most healing sentence I've heard all week."

We started folding in a comfortable rhythm. Socks, shirts, hoodies that were probably more Bryce's than mine at this point.

"So," Kylie said, tugging on a stretched-out sleeve. "What's your take on Landon's new mustache?"

I nearly choked. "That's what we're opening with?"

"It's an important cultural moment."

"It looks like a broom fell on his face and he just went with it."

Kylie snorted. "Thank you. Brad said it's distinguished. I said it looks like it's plotting tax fraud."

We both cracked up, and it felt good. Freeing almost. To finally relax for even just a moment.

We folded in silence for a beat, the warm cotton smell filling the room, the soft thump of Dawson's tail somewhere in the hallway.

"You know," Kylie said, holding up a neon sports bra, "I used to think adulthood would feel more official."

"Like someone would hand you a certificate? Congratulations, here's your lifelong anxiety and constant stream of consciousness."

"Exactly," Kylie said, with a nod. "But instead, now I have a favorite grocery store and back pain."

"I'm twenty years old and I get excited to try a new Tik Tok recipe," I said, which earned a laugh from Kylie. "We don't exactly live exciting lives."

Kylie nodded. "We're too far gone."

We kept folding, socks into neat little balls, shirts into squares. It felt like nothing. It felt like everything.

No big conversation. No heavy sighs. Just space to breathe.

And for the first time in days, I didn't feel like I was balancing the weight of someone else's world.

I was just sitting on the floor, folding laundry with my best friend, laughing about mustaches and adulthood and dryer sheets.

We love a best friend who comes over to help you fold laundry. How are we feeling about Clayton? Ally or enemy?

Teaser: First game of the season! Bryce's opportunity to shine. and we have a new character introduction, did you know Bryce has a sister?

This book will update again on Monday.