Page 76 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

“Please don’t have sex with Kyle.”

A beat.

Nobody laughed.

For the first time, Mel sounded genuinely worried.

“I won’t,” I said confidently.

A complete lie.

I shook my head, already regretting it.

Because deep down I knew exactly what I was walking back into.

And I was going anyway.

CHAPTER 10

MEL WON’T BE HAPPY ABOUT THIS

A full-length mirror stood outside the restaurant entrance—of course there was.

I stopped in front of it, adjusting my shirt like it would somehow fix what I was actually nervous about.

I looked good. That was a fact.

I wore the kind of outfit that said, ‘I didn’t try hard,’ even though I absolutely did. Slightly undone, but intentional.

Short-sleeved, slightly oversized button-down, leaving the top two buttons undone, casual but deliberate, exposing a little skin to suggest confidence. Muted olive-green pants hugged in the right places. White sneakers, crisp and almost too clean, grounded the whole thing. Effortless. Modern. Like I could be going anywhere after this and still belong.

Of course, I knew this getup wasn’t ideal for a date, but I didn’t want Kyle to think I put in effort just for him.

I tilted my head slightly, taking myself in.

I exhaled.

“Relax,” I muttered to my reflection, like that ever worked.

Because this wasn’t just a date.

This was my ex.

When I stepped inside, the warmth wrapped around me immediately.

Brick Wood sat high enough above the city to feel like a secret.

The air was cooler up here—cleaner somehow—like the noise of Southside had been filtered out before it could reach this place. Warm lights spilled out from the open structure, casting a golden glow over wood, stone, and glass. It wasn’t trying too hard. Everything about it felt intentional: the low conversations, soft clinking glasses, the hum of people lingering longer than they planned to.

Beyond the edges of the restaurant, the city stretched out below, lights flickering like it was part of the ambiance itself, not something separate from it.

It felt like the kind of place where they want to impress, confess, or pretend they weren’t about to make a mistake.

Which was exactly why I was here.

My eyes scanned the space, already knowing I’d find him somewhere strategic.

And of course, there he was.