Page 138 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

“And judgment,” Andi added.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

They weren’t joking. And I knew it.

“Alright,” I said finally. “I’ll go.”

“Good,” Honey smiled.

Andi clapped once. “Love that for you.”

I forced a smile again, but underneath it, something tightened. Because the truth was, I wasn’t ready—for the questions, for the explanations, for the looks on their faces once I told them the truth that Victor and I were back together.

And I already knew they weren’t going to like it.

Dinner at Victor’s place had already become a kind of routine.

Not planned nor discussed. It just happened.

I leaned against the counter while he moved around the kitchen.

There was something about watching him like this—quiet, focused, at ease—that made everything feel settled. Like this was normal. Like this was what we were always meant to be.

“Careful,” he said, not looking at me. “You’re staring. You might fall in love with me over again.”

“I’m observing,” I replied, my cheeks warming.

He let out a small breath through his nose, amused, as he set the plates down. “That sounds worse.”

“Depends on how you take it.”

He glanced at me then—quick, but enough—and there it was again. That look that had undone me more times than I cared to admit.

We sat across from each other.

For a while, we just ate, telling each other small comments and passing remarks. We had the kind of conversation that didn’t need to go anywhere to feel like something.

And I almost didn’t bring it up.

I could’ve waited. Delayed it. Pretended tomorrow didn’t exist yet.

But the thought kept sitting there, pressing just enough.

“So,” I started, setting my fork down.

He looked up briefly. “Hmm?”

“My friends,” I said. “I ran into them earlier.”

“Yeah?”

“Honey and Andi.”

He nodded once, like the names didn’t mean much to him beyond what I’d already told him before. “How are they?”

“Persistent,” I replied, letting out a small breath.

That earned a faint smile. “Sounds about right.”