Page 60 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

I shook my head and took a sip.

Andre didn’t answer right away, just watched me—waiting.

“You’re fidgeting,” Andre pointed out.

Then I realized, I was rocking my left leg so hard that I must’ve looked like a human vibrator to his POV.

“Relax,” he said. “You’re safe with me.”

I smiled softly.

“Annoying, huh?” he continued.

“Yeah. Because it starts the same way every time. You talk, you build connection, and then the second it becomes real—” I snapped my fingers, “—gone!”

I let out a snort, but more tired than amused.

“And the worst part?” I added. “You can’t even be mad, because technically, they didn’t do anything wrong.”

Andre nodded slowly.

“That’s the thing with situationships,” he said. “They’re built on potential, not commitment.”

I glanced at him. “Wow. Look at you.”

“I’m serious, James,” he continued.

“Sorry,” I said, not truly surprised by his seriousness.

“In a relationship, there’s an agreement,” he continued. “But a situationship only has… vibes.”

I laughed. “I didn’t know vibes can be dangerous.”

“They can be,” he said. “Because you start filling in the gaps yourself. You assume intention why there isn’t any. You project consistency where there’s none required.”

That landed deeper than expected.

“We did everything people in relationships do,” I said, quietly slipping from reality. “We never called it one.”

Andre didn’t interrupt.

“He treated me like a boyfriend when it was convenient…” I added, the words coming out slower now, heavier. “And gave up on me on a random day like I was trash.”

Andre’s jaw tightened slightly. “He got all the benefits of you without having to choose you.”

I looked away, the bass pulsing slowly beneath us.

Andre was quiet for a second. Then he asked, “We’re not talking about your hookup, are we?”

“What?” I asked, truly confused.

Andre nodded. “Now this is the part where you tell me what actually happened with you.”

“With me?”

“Yeah. You disappeared for five months. You don’t do that unless something actually got to you.”

I exhaled, leaning back, eyes drifting anywhere but him.