"Hi."

    There wasn't much else to say when your ex-girlfriend of three days was standing on the doorstep in front of you, looking like a fish out of water who was about to die for lack of air.

    So naturally, I decided to be the one to play it cool.

    I had done the breaking up, after all.

    Yet Sydney was still Sydney, and it didn't take long for her to collect herself--and in an extremely petty way, that upset me a tad bit.

    "Hi." She replied. Her eyes darted back and forth between mine, as if trying to find a way to go back in time and not have knocked on this door. "Can I come in?"

    I nodded and stepped backwards. I wasn't sure what she was doing there, but if there was one thing that was for sure, she was clearly curious as to what I was doing there.

    I wrestled momentarily with the idea of making it seem like I was hooking up with one of the girls who lived in the apartment, before deciding that I wasn't that incredibly heartless.

    I regretted my decision approximately eight seconds later when I saw who walked in the door after Sydney did.

    I had specifically not invited a date to the engagement party. It had been a conscious decision on my part, since I felt that doing so after dumping Sydney would have been rude and insensitive. I had just figured that the gesture would be returned; it seemed like the decent thing to do on either end.

    Especially if she had a six-hour drive over here in the first place.

    Jacob Lanthrop, someone I had only ever seen online, walked through the door after Sydney, giving me a quick nod before stepping past me and into the apartment. I shut the door behind him and looked over my shoulder; Sydney had actually brought someone she knew I had previously gotten jealous over.

    I had never considered her to be especially petty before that moment, and yet there we were.

    I stayed in the doorway for a second as Sydney squealed her hello's to the other five in the apartment; all of whom didn't seem to be surprised by her arrival. She gave Katie, Melissa, Brittany, Dan and Alan all hugs individually before introducing them to Jacob, who she said was her "friend from orchestra."

    I walked into the main room slowly, trying not to look too appalled by what was in front of me. Everyone seemed over-the-moon excited to see Sydney, and I didn't blame them; three days ago I would have been the same way.

    But it wasn't three days ago. It wasn't three days ago, and we weren't dating anymore.

    I sat down on the sofa next to Dan, where I had been placed for our card game just a few minutes earlier. Syd and Jacob took the empty loveseat beside us, and I averted my eyes in what I knew appeared to be incredibly awkward.

    My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out, rolling my eyes at the fact that the person who had sent the message was sitting directly next to me.

    I typed out a quick, albeit annoyed, response.

    I felt Dan sigh from beside me.

    I shook my head and put my phone back in my pocket, starting to pay attention to the conversation going on in front of me.

    "So how's New York? Is it just so incredible?" Britt was bouncing up and down with excitement. Hardly any of us had ever been out of Virginia; my California trip junior year of high school had been absolutely insane by the standards of the people I knew.

    "It's breathtaking." Sydney nodded, "It's a little loud and busy, but I just love the city. I love cities in general. I just enjoy being around all the excitement, I guess. It's definitely different from anything I've ever experienced before, but I think I'm getting used to it."

    "That's so cool." Katie grinned. "We definitely miss you out here. No one tells me when my outfits look like they belong on a stripper anymore."

    "It's for a reason." Alan winked at her before earning a hard punch in the arm.

    "Anyways," Katie continued, "Your presence is definitely missed. We have so much to catch you up on around here!"

    "She's totally right." Mel nodded, "But could we please catch you up on it over dinner? I'm absolutely starved."

    "Yeah, no problem!" Sydney laughed, "I'm super hungry."

    "Then let's go! Marty's Burgers?"

    "Never sounded better."

    The girls all stood to leave, followed closely by Jacob.

    "Finish the card game, we'll be back soon!" Katie called over her shoulder before the door slammed.

    There was a moment of awkward silence between the three of us guys before Alan spoke.

    "How pissed are you at us right now?"

    "Pretty pissed." I replied instantly. "You couldn't have given me any kind of warning?"

    "Britt told me not to." Dan raised his hands in a position of surrender. "You don't argue with the fiance, man."

    I sat back in my seat, closing my eyes for a moment. I shouldn't be angry with them; they had no reason to tell me a secret about Sydney. They were just as much her friends as they were mine. And I was not about to force them to pick sides on this breakup.

    Even though mine was clearly the right one.

    I opened my eyes back up and stood, taking my phone out of my pocket.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Nothing." I replied before opening the door to Katie's room and shutting it behind me. I dialed a familiar number and held the phone up to my ear.

    "Hello?"

    "Hey, it's Connor."

    "Hey! Haven't heard from you in a few days, everything alright?"

    "Yeah, I'm fine. Broke up with Sydney."

    "I'm so sorry to hear that!"

    "Yeah, it's fine. But it does mean that I need a date to Dan and Britt's engagement party on the 2nd."

    "Yeah?"

    "You wanna come with me?"

    "I would love to!"

    "Great! Then it's a date."

    "It's a date. See you then."

    "See you then. Thanks, Shelby."

A/N: YA GIRL TURNED 19 TODAY! I've included a cute picture that my roommate took of me this morning because I love my roommates and they decorated our apartment for my birthday.

Thoughts on the chapter? Thoughts on what you want to happen? Let me know!

-Katherine