It's mid-November by the time Kate and I plan to meet up.

I've run into her once at the store, but our conversation was short, kind of forced. We also saw each other a month ago during a mutual friend's birthday dinner at a cabaret show. There wasn't really a chance to talk, and after the show, I ended up leaving and skipped going out with everyone for drinks. Some texts have gone back and forth, about my new job and her new boyfriend, but other than those few instances, things have been pretty quiet between us.

When she texted me a few days ago, it was a picture of us outside our first real apartment. We look young, and we look ridiculous. It was only seven years ago, but I marvel at how both of our styles have really changed since then. Seeing the photo makes me a little nostalgic because it reminds me that we were once real friends. And even though things can sometimes weird or competitive or just downright toxic between us, there have been some good times mixed in there too. So when she asks to meet up for brunch, I accept.

The morning I'm meant to meet her, I'm not as nervous as I thought I'd be. It could be because I know she has a boyfriend. Maybe it's due to the fact that I feel secure with Edward. I know where we stand, which brings me a new level of confidence in all aspects of my life. Regardless of whatever it is, I'm not anxious, and if she asks if I'm with Edward, I'll tell her the truth. If she's truly my friend, she'll be happy that I'm happy.

"Emmett's got some guys thing tonight," Rose tells me when I'm on my way out the door. "You wanna try that new wine bar?"

"Sure. Can Edward come even if Em is out?"

"Of course. Does he like wine?"

"He likes me, and I like wine, therefore yes."

"Wonderful theory." Rose laughs. "Where you off to?" she asks, grabbing her mug and following me into the living room.

"I'm going to meet up with Kate."

She raises her eyebrows, blowing on her tea. "Why?"

I disappear into the hallway closet, finding a scarf I haven't worn in a while. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're not very fond of her, and she doesn't sound like the greatest person, from what I've heard. Why bother?"

"I don't know," I say honestly. "It's been a while since we've actually met up. I really think it'll be… tolerable."

"Ah, classic frenemies," Rose snorts, and I roll my eyes, but I appreciate how easily she sums it all up.

Rushing into the restaurant, it takes me a minute to spot Kate. I start to think she left because I'm ten minutes late, but then I see her sitting in the back, staring down at her phone.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late!" I try to keep my tone light, but she doesn't look thrilled.

"It's fine."

"I like your bangs. They look good." It's not a lie. The way they frame her narrow face is flattering. I could never pull them off.

She fluffs them a bit, offering a reluctant smile. "Thanks. They're really in right now— maybe you should get bangs too."

I chuckle. "I don't have the right face shape for them."

"I'm sure they'd end up looking great on you," she muses in a tone I can't quite detect.

My thoughts trail back to freshman year of college, after she got a pixie cut that she hated. She kept insisting that I would look amazing with one, trying her hardest to convince me to chop off my hair, too. I didn't do it, thank God. I wonder how I completely missed her attempt at trying to find company for her misery back then.

"Glad you finally found a spare moment to meet," she says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Her words sound passive-aggressive, but her small smile seems genuine, throwing me off. I'm about to apologize, then stop myself.

"Yeah, everything's been a little crazy," I say instead.

"With work or what?"

"Mostly. I've been working for that start-up, and they already have me switching gears and focusing on their social media. Apparently, the person before me really neglected that part of their brand, so their online presence needs a lot of work."

"I feel you with the craziness. I've had two promotions in the last three months. I'm like, can you stop? It's exhausting."

I appreciate friendly competition from time to time, but this feels deeper than that.

"Very cool," I say as I clear my throat and pick up a menu. "You're getting food, right?"

"Only if they have a vegan option."

"Since when are you vegan?"

"Since David. He practices veganism, so it's easier if we eat the same way."

"Okay." I scan over the food options, but I already know what I want. I always look over the menu online before I go to any restaurant. "Well I'm starving, so I definitely need to order something."

"Did I show you a picture of him?" she asks, sliding her phone across the table, showing me a photo of her and the vegan. He's attractive, a little too put together for my liking but perfect for her.

I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "He's cute. Where'd y'all meet?"

"We work together."

"That's cool."

With her eyes on me, she seems to be searching my face for something. "So I've kinda heard things here and there, but you're with Edward, right?"

I hold her gaze. "Yeah. Things became official after we got back from LA." It doesn't feel necessary to let her know about our week and a half of sleeping together before then or how we were intimate on the actual trip.

"I figured." I don't know what to say to that, so I stay silent. "Why didn't you just tell me you liked him?" she asks bluntly. "I would've backed off."

Because I'm a huge idiot who dabbles in the art of self-sabotaging and making things more complicated than they need to be.

"I don't know," I say instead. "It's not like I was secretly in love with him, but I think seeing your interest made me view him… differently. Admitting that to you would have been hard because I barely admitted it to myself."

"Typical Bella. Doesn't know who she wants until someone else is interested in them," she states coolly. "You realize this is sophomore year all over again."

I give her a look, one that's slightly condescending. I knew she was going to bring this up— in fact, I'd been kind of dreading the Edward conversation because of this. She had a thing for this guy Jake who happened to have a thing for me. I was completely unaware of his feelings until Kate barged into my room one night, completely pissed. Apparently he said my name during sex, and she lost it, accusing me of cheating with him. We didn't talk for weeks. She completely overreacted for someone who didn't stop sleeping with him for another month. Eventually her anger and my defensiveness dissipated, and we got over it. But I steered clear of any boyfriends or guys she was interested in after that.

I'm a little shocked she's comparing that situation to this.

"It's not the same, Kate."

"You stole Jake; you stole Edward. Seems the same to me."

"I didn't steal Jake. And Edward was never up for grabs," I say, heat pricking the back of my neck. "Not even for a second."

She looks away, keeping the cynical smile on her face. "Well, I feel stupid."

Good. "Don't," I say to keep the peace.

She rolls her eyes. "How could I not? I feel like I was played. And Bella wins again."

The waiter comes over, a brief but welcome interruption. He's way too upbeat for the tense conversation we're having. We both say we're not quite ready to order, needing a couple more minutes. When he cracks a joke, and neither of us respond, he mutters "tough crowd" before walking away.

I'm about to change the subject to something a little lighter when Kate sighs. "I'm just glad I didn't sleep with him."

"Who?"

"Edward."

She says this like it was an option. As if her merely being interested in him meant he automatically reciprocated the feeling.

"Yeah," I agree reluctantly. "That would've been… weird."

She's quiet, busying herself with unfolding her napkin. "Is it weird that something else happened between us?"

"What?" I blurt, shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I've been debating on whether or not to tell you this. I figured if you knew, you would've mentioned it by now." She pauses. "I didn't want to say anything until we were in person, but I just don't think I'd be a good friend if I kept it from you any longer."

My pulse spikes. "Kept what from me?"

"Edward and I kissed. It was before you went to LA, so don't worry. It's not like he cheated on you," she assures me, which has the exact opposite effect. "I would just feel weird if you had kissed David before I was with him."

I swallow thickly, mouth suddenly dry. Adrenaline kicks in, but I take a moment to really dissect what she's said. A kiss isn't awful—a kiss isn't sleeping together or being intimate in other ways. Still, I can't help that jealousy replaces my adrenaline. I want to ask her when and where and why. But for some reason, I think I'd rather not hear her recall the kiss. I want to hear it straight from Edward.

"It's weird," I tell her sternly. "It's very fucking weird."

Something flickers in her gaze, and it seems very close to delight. "So, he didn't end up telling you?"

I frown. "No."

"You're right. That is weird," she agrees, but she's very clearly loving the drama she just created. "You look upset."

"I am."

"I'm just trying to be honest."

"Really?" I ask in irritation. "Why now? Why not right after it happened?"

"I don't know." She shrugs. "Edward came by my work and specifically asked me not to mention it to you. Basically begged, actually. I assumed it was because he wanted to tell you himself, but… guess not."

Another blow to the heart and I've heard enough.

I wish I could say it doesn't matter because these last few months with Edward have been fucking perfect. He's been there for me and not only told me he's all in but, more importantly, shown me. He's allowed me to open up in ways I never thought I could and accepted me through all the doubt. But hearing this catches me completely off guard, and I feel blindsided.

A kiss is one thing. Omitting that information is another. But purposely seeking her out and asking her to keep it all from me is an entirely new level of deception.

With my heart racing, I stand from my seat and hastily try to wrap my scarf around my neck. It gets caught between my bag and the chair, and I mumble a string of curse words, causing some people near us to take notice of the situation. Tears burn my eyes, but thankfully, they don't fall. I'm rarely a crier, but this one fucking stings.

"What are you going?" Kate asks, blinking.

"Leaving."

"What—you're mad we kissed?"

"It's more than that, and you know it." I might be more upset that Edward purposely kept it from me, but I'm not about to tell her that.

"This is so immature. I didn't know you liked him."

"That's beside the point!" I stress. "I don't like the way you're bringing this up now, months later, or the fact that you seem so fucking pleased with yourself."

"So you would've preferred I say nothing?" I think about this, and though my initial reaction is yes, I'm not sure if that's true. "I just started thinking, after being with David, I would be so… hurt if something happened behind my back. I'm only looking out for you."

"Doesn't feel like it," I mumble, grabbing my bag.

"If you're gonna be mad at someone be mad at him, not me," she says, taking no responsibility. Her mouth opens to speak again, but I don't bother to stick around for another word. Instead, I rush out of the restaurant completely confused and thoroughly humiliated.

Sorry, y'all—I'm not thrilled about it either. (But thank you for reading!)

Hadley is a freaking gem.