Rachel woke to sunlight streaking across her face and the scent of Noah on her sheets. With a yawn, she reached her arm out beside her, surprised when her fingertips grazed cool linen rather than Noah’s shoulder. She felt around for a moment, then noted the silence of the apartment. She fell back into bed with a sigh.
Rachel couldn’t help but smile as she recalled their lovemaking.
She rolled over and grabbed her phone. The screen lit up, showing a blurry photo of her and Noah on the Ferris wheel from last semester’s fall festival. Her cheek pressed to his, his smile wider than her own.
After admiring him for a moment, she opened her messaging app and began typing quickly.
Rachel: Hey babe, I’m up. Where’d you go??? 🥺💔
She sent it with a grin as love swam through her veins. She had daydreamed of a relationship like this her whole life, and now, she had it. A full connection that no amount of parties, casual sex, or public bathroom escapades could ever compare to.
She pressed her face into the pillow and let out a squeal.
Then she got up, stretching wide as her bare toes pressed into the soft throw rug beneath her mattress. Wearing nothing but a pair of plain black panties, Rachel walked toward her reading desk in the corner of the room and grabbed one of Noah’s shirts draped over the chair.
It was her favorite dark green one, soft with age and worn at the collar. She lifted it and brought it to her nose. His scent opened a thousand memories she never wanted to forget.
Rachel slipped it over her head. It draped loosely over her frame, and the loose collar showed a hint of her shoulder. She then slipped into a pair of black athletic shorts and walked into the living room, still smiling.
She was halfway to the kitchen when she heard the stairwell door clunk shut. Her smile widened when she heard Noah’s warm laugh echo in the common hallway.
She walked to her apartment’s entry door and placed her hand on the knob. As she heard his steps draw near, Rachel opened the door wide to catch him by surprise.
She stopped cold when she saw Mel standing next to Noah.
Closely, next to Noah.
The two locked eyes. Mel’s smooth ponytail swung as she tilted her head playfully and smiled brightly.
“Hey there, neighbor,” Mel said, waving at Rachel with delicate fingers.
Rachel’s jaw clenched. “Oh. Hey, Mel.”
Noah, oblivious to the tension, quickly stepped towards Rachel and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Morning, sleepy head!” he said, giving her a gentle squeeze.
“Morning,” Rachel said back through gritted teeth. She forced a smile as she stepped out into the hallway.
“So what were you two up to?” she asked, barely managing to keep her tone light and airy.
“Well, you were still out cold, so I decided to clean the place up, and as I was taking out the trash, I bumped into Mel! We ended up chatting and decided to grab breakfast.”
Mel’s eyes never left Rachel as Noah spoke.
“He was all alone, and I felt bad for him. So I figured, why not?” she said, glancing at Noah with a coy smile. “Plus, we have so much in common. The hours just flew by.”
Rachel’s fists clenched, but her stiffened smile remained.
“That’s great…” Rachel eeked out.
“It really was, thanks for letting me borrow him. After all, I know you’re all about sharing.”
Mel’s words snagged Rachel like razor wire, and she smiled wildly when Rachel made no answer.
“Us hanging out isn’t a problem, is it?” Mel said with feigned worry.
Rachel smiled through clenched teeth. “Not at all.”
“Are you sure? I definitely don’t want to cause any drama,” Mel pressed.
Rachel shook her head as every fiber in her body trembled with rage.
“It’s totally fine,” she said shortly.
“Thank god! The last thing I would want to do is be a problem…” Mel said, playfully stepping forward and trailing her hand down Noah’s arm while looking at Rachel. “He’s such a good friend, after all.”
“Aww, thanks, Mel!” Noah chimed in, his arm still hung around Rachel’s shoulder.
“As I said, it’s totally fine,” Rachel said, agitation finally seeping into her words.
“Good,” Mel said. “For a second there, I thought you were going to say he wasn’t allowed to have female friends.”
“Of course he can,” Rachel snapped.
Mel laughed.
“I’m only joking!” She grinned as her eyes flicked triumphantly between Noah and Rachel.
As the tension between the two women simmered, Noah laughed nervously.
“Well, thank God Rachel isn’t like that,” he said, slipping his arm around Rachel’s waist and gently squeezing her. His warm touch gave Rachel a chance to collect herself. With a heavy sigh, she looked up at him.
“Thanks, babe,” she said softly.
“I mean it, you really are the best,” Noah replied.
It felt good to hear, especially knowing that Mel heard it too. Rachel’s eyes drifted back to her, pleased to find that her smug expression had all but vanished.
“I have to agree with Noah, you really are one of a kind,” Mel said coldly.
Her eyes darted to Noah again.
And in that brief second, Rachel saw it.
A subtle and unmistakable longing in Mel’s eyes.
“You’re lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend,” Mel said. “I hope you know that.”
“I do,” Rachel replied, more quickly than she wanted to.
Mel kept her eyes on Noah, smiling softly as she spoke. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“Of course! Maybe we could all do it together sometime,” he said. Rachel closed her eyes at the suggestion.
“I’d love that,” Mel said all too brightly.
Rachel tightened her grip on Noah’s arm. “Right… well, we should probably get going. Don’t want the day to get away from us.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Mel said.
“Thanks again for hanging with me, Mel,” Noah said, his words painfully innocent.
Mel gave a light wave.
“Don’t mention it. I’ll see you around,” she said sweetly.
Then her eyes shifted to Rachel, and her warmth melted away instantly. Leaving only a cold stare of contempt. Then Mel turned and sauntered down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder and giving Noah one final wave goodbye.
Rachel didn’t realize she was capable of hating someone as much as she hated Mel in that moment. She turned and quickly opened her apartment door.
“And here I was thinking she was mean,” Noah said, following her inside.
“Yeah…” Rachel said coldly, stepping into the living room.
Noah closed the door gently behind them as he examined Rachel for a moment.
“Is… something wrong?” he said.
Rachel moved toward the kitchen, grabbed her phone off the counter, and opened it aimlessly. “Nope. Everything’s fine.”
What else could she say? That she saw the way Mel looked at him? That she was jealous? That she hated the idea of Mel having breakfast all alone with him?
She couldn’t.
Noah had done nothing wrong. He went out to breakfast with her neighbor, that’s it. It wasn’t his fault that Mel was developing a crush on him. He was cute, thoughtful, and honest. The kind of guy most girls could only dream of finding. And she knew he would never lie to her or try sneaking behind her back.
She was the one pushing their boundaries. She was the one who’d let Mike spend the night at her place and snuck into a public bathroom with Ethan.
So what right did she have to tell him he couldn’t spend time with another woman?
That’s when the thought hit like a wave.
What if Noah decided he wanted to explore things, too?
Could she watch him leave in the morning, knowing he was going to see another woman?
And what if that someone else was Mel?
Rachel’s heart clenched as her vision blurred. She no longer saw the living room. Instead, she saw Noah entering Mel’s apartment down the hall. Her heart raced as she imagined Mel straddling him, lowering her neck to his ear, and—
“Hey…” Noah’s voice cut through the fog with gentle ease. He stepped beside her and took her hand, his thumb tracing slow circles across the back of it.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
Rachel’s mouth opened, then closed.
She stared into his eyes and slowly shook her head.
“It’s nothing,” she said. “Just feeling a little off this morning.”
Noah nodded, but didn’t let go of her hand. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
She gave him a soft smile.
“Alright,” Noah said gently, voice still tempered with concern. “Well… if anything is ever wrong, you can tell me. You know that, right?”
“I know,” Rachel replied, leaning up to kiss him softly on the cheek, feeling his stubble on her lips. He promptly kissed her on the forehead in return. And, for a second, her heart quieted.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Glad to hear it.” Noah let go of her hand and walked over to the kitchen. As he did, Rachel’s phone pinged.
“Who is it?” Noah asked as he rummaged through the fridge.
Rachel sighed. “Take a guess.”
Noah turned with a smirk. “I mean, there are so many possibilities now.”
Rachel’s stomach sank.
He meant it as a joke. He really did. But still, the words stung.
Because they were true. Rachel forced a smile, trying her best to keep her tone playful.
“It’s… Ethan,” she said.
Noah turned, iced coffee in hand. “Oh?”
Rachel nodded, then quickly locked her screen and set the phone down.
“Yeah.”
“What does he want?”
She waved it off, eager to talk about anything else.
“It’s not important. So, what did you want to do today?”
“No no, I want to know,” Noah said, smiling as he eagerly stepped back into the living room.
Rachel rolled her eyes. She so badly wanted to move on. The image of Mel rubbing Noah’s arm flashed in her mind.
“He’s uh…” She exhaled. “He’s just being Ethan.”
“Wanting more?” Noah asked teasingly.
Rachel shrugged. “Yeah.”
Noah popped the cap of his coffee and took a slow sip. He slowly stepped in front of her. Flirtatious and charming as always.
“You never did tell me what you guys got up to last night.”
Rachel stiffened.
“We didn’t… fuck or anything,” she said, voice beginning to quake. “We just messed around a little bit.”
Noah raised an eyebrow. “What, you’re not gonna give me details?”
Rachel forced a half-enthusiastic laugh. “I don’t know. It’s… embarrassing.”
“Alright, alright…” He took another sip as he examined her with an eager expression. “So… did you record it?”
Rachel winced. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she traced her foot against the living room rug.
“…yes,” she said reluctantly.
When she looked up, she found Noah’s familiar expression that rested somewhere between arousal and nerves.
“Can I see it?” he asked.
“You’re not… bothered?” she asked quietly.
“I mean, not in a bad way, no.”
“Not in a bad way?”
Noah paused, looking upward in self-reflection. “It’s a strange feeling.”
“But, not a feeling that bothers you?” Rachel asked. Noah shook his head.
“No, I wouldn’t say it bothers me. Or… it bothers me in the right way.”
Rachel’s brows pulled together slightly. “The right way?”
Noah laughed sheepishly.
“I know, it’s weird. But it hits in a way I can’t really explain. Yes, I sometimes feel jealous or whatever, but like… I don’t know how to describe it. It hits in a way that I enjoy. If that makes sense.”
“How?”
Noah blinked. “How what?”
“How does it not bother you?” she asked. Her voice was steadier than she felt.
Noah saw the shift. The seriousness behind the question. His expression softened.
“Because I know you love me.”
The words landed gently.
Rachel stared at him as her eyes began to water.
“I…” Her voice caught. “I do love you…”
She blinked as uninvited tears began to form.
“A-and I’m sorry that… That I’m doing this, I just… I know it’s not right…”
“Hey, hey…” Noah quickly wrapped his arms around her, and she folded into him with a tremble.
“I’m sorry, Noah…” she whispered.
“Where’s this coming from?” he asked, rubbing her back gently.
“I just… You deserve a normal girlfriend,” she said into his chest, voice cracking beneath her shame. “I’m so sorry…”
“You don’t have to be sorry.”
“I feel gross…”
“You’re not.”
They stood like that for a while, feeling the weight of everything that sat silently between them. Noah slowly caressed her back.
“I really do love you,” she said again, quieter this time.
“I know.” He kissed her head. “I love you too.”
Eventually, they pulled apart. Her eyes were glassy, but her breathing had slowed.
“Let’s give all that a break for now, okay?” Noah said gently. “Wanna go thrifting?”
Rachel let out a soft laugh through the tears. He always knew what to say in moments like this.
“Yeah…”
“And maybe we can get ice cream after?” he added, a hopeful grin on his face.
Rachel wiped a tear from her cheek and laughed again. “Yeah… just let me get ready, though. I’m a mess.”
Noah cupped her cheek and gently wiped a tear away with his thumb.
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”