Chapter 3: Table for One (More?)

That mark was from my bite. What was the point in explaining?

I walked away, my heels clicking on the sidewalk—oddly comforting. Luckily, the coffee shop wasn’t far from Main Street. The old diner was still open.

I really needed a bowl of chicken noodle soup to recover.

It was the kind of place that never changed—the same faded booths, the same waitress who called everyone “honey.” I slid into a booth by the window, the vinyl squeaking under me. It was a shame. Ryan was one of the few guy friends I truly understood. The experience was... fine. Free, even. But I couldn’t use him again.

I stirred my soup, watching the noodles swirl. Regret settled in my stomach, heavier than the broth. While I was feeling a little regretful, the friend group chat lit up.

Ryan Maddox: [Hey everyone, I’m officially off the market. Anyone free tonight? Let’s meet up.]

Someone started teasing.

[Just say you wanna drink, dude, we all know about your girlfriend.]

[Yeah, we’ve known Layla a year longer than you. Who are you trying to impress?]

Ryan sent a “......” emoji.

Next thing, a new girl was added to the chat—a pink cloud avatar.

As soon as she joined, she sent a voice message:

[Hey y’all, I’m Ryan’s girlfriend. Hope you’ll all be nice to me.]

The chat went quiet for a beat, then a flood of welcome emojis rolled in.

Privately, four or five friends messaged me.

[Layla, what’s up? Did you and Ryan fight?]

I couldn’t reply to everyone, so I just replied to Emily in the group.

[Welcome.]

At the same time, Emily’s voice message popped up.

[Sis Layla’s in this group, right? I heard she’s everyone’s favorite bro.]

Wow. She really went there. The comments in my head were dying laughing.

[Hahahaha, no matter how cocky the wannabe bro is, once the main couple goes public, she still has to call her sister-in-law.]

[This girl’s bold—comes in swinging. Let’s see where the supporting girl gets her pride now.]

[Plot twist! Applause!]

My not-quite-platonic friendship with Ryan had lasted half a year. We were close; it wasn’t a secret in the group. Even if I kept up the bro act, I was basically just Ryan’s. With one sentence, Emily made me “everyone’s.”

The chat went dead. No one wanted to touch that. I stared at the screen, the silence louder than any message.

Only Ryan tagged the pink cloud avatar.

[Not every girl can be as sweet and shy as you.]

He messaged me privately.

[She doesn’t know about us.]

[My bad. Can you let it go?]

Looked like he’d gotten over the guilt and shock from this morning. He’d picked his girl.

I didn’t answer.

Ryan started sending money on Venmo.

$520.00

$1,314.00

Weird amounts. Non-refundable, apparently.

I hit accept.

Ryan replied with a pleading face emoji.

I was silent for a second, then replied in the group chat.

[See you tonight.]

That made my position clear. Only then did the friends chime in.

[Cool, see you tonight!]

The peanut gallery in my head exploded.

[What, the wannabe bro never ate before? Even after the big reveal, she still has to show off?]

[Even if the girl’s late to the game, she has to be there. Isn’t the bro act just to make things awkward?]

[Hope the wannabe bro doesn’t overthink it. She can’t think every guy is hers, right?]

[The one above just nailed Layla’s whole mindset, lol.]

[That’s a mind-reader, hand her a mic!]

I scrolled past the fake comments. Whatever. Let them talk.

Tonight’s dinner—who said I was going for Ryan?

Maybe I was just tired. I’d slept in, big time.

The sun was already dipping behind the city skyline when I finally pulled myself together. By the time I got to the hotel, most of the group was already there.

Emily’s eyes locked onto me right away. She didn’t say hi, just smiled and pointed at the shrimp scampi on the menu.

“I want this, but it looks tough to peel.”

She said it with a little pout, glancing at Ryan. As expected of the new couple, Ryan patted her head, all doting.

“I’ll peel it for you.”

He said it loud enough for everyone to hear, like he wanted to make a point. She smiled, acting like she’d only just noticed me.

“Sis Layla’s here. Why are you sitting so far away?”

She tilted her head. “Bro, shouldn’t you be sitting with the guys?”

The room went silent.

She pressed her lips together, realized, and shut up.

“Ry, did I say something wrong...?”

I smiled. “You didn’t say anything wrong.”

I looked her up and down. “You sure know a lot about bro behavior. Got any experience?”

My voice was light, but the edge was there. Emily and Ryan’s faces both changed again. I let the silence stretch, just long enough to make it awkward.

I leaned back in my chair, amused.

I’d never seen Ryan embarrassed before. Head down, he actually looked kinda cute.

[So gross, why is the wannabe bro so annoying? Just because she’s known the guy longer, she thinks she’s better?]

[Layla’s got a sharp tongue. The main girl sees through her, and she thinks the main girl is just as fake!]

[So good at dragging people down. What’s wrong with you, sis!]

Ryan finally stopped dodging my gaze. After the guilt wore off, he said, “Layla, Emily’s still young.”

Yeah, I got it. No need to say more. He just wanted me to give her a break. Classic Ryan.

Some friends tried to break the tension. “Layla, come sit over here with me.” I slid my chair back, giving them a little breathing room.

Suddenly, the door to the private room swung open.

Someone walked in, grinning. “Sorry, the game just ended. I’m late.”

The guy was all energy and a little wild. He dropped into my chair. Right where my arm had been.

He smelled like leather and aftershave, a little too much swagger for one room. His body heat radiated through his jacket, making the air feel charged. "Layla, I came just for you."

The room fell silent.

Ryan’s face darkened right away.

The peanut gallery in my head lost it.

[What’s this, wannabe bro playing hard to get?]

[Such an old trick—still got the guts to use it? Does she really think the guy will fall for it?]

[Not to be mean, but groups with wannabe bros are always messy. Maybe she’s already been through the whole crew—why else is everyone watching her?]

[Go get a checkup, wannabe bro!]

Lucas Reed picked up the menu, flipping through it. “Braised short ribs, honey-glazed pork, crispy pork belly—let’s get all three.”

He said it like he owned the place, flashing a crooked grin. After ordering, he turned to me. “Layla, these are still your favorites, right?”

A screen full of [......] flew by in my head.

[So Layla just found this lunatic to rile up the guy? Hahaha, no way, right?]

[He’s cute, but as soon as he talks, you can tell. How’s a guy like that supposed to make the lead jealous!]

[Wait... look at the main guy.]

I followed the cue. Sure enough, Ryan’s expression shifted. His fist on the table trembled a little.

I knew why he was losing it.

When I was a kid, I loved sweets and greasy food. Ryan used to tease me for eating like a dude. Because of him, everyone in the neighborhood called me “bro.”

Until I grew up and started acting more like a girl, which finally shut him up. Until I said, “Childhood friends never betray each other.” Only then did he promise to keep my secret.

My favorite foods had always been a little secret between us. But now, someone else was openly ordering all my childhood favorites right in front of him—and that guy was even hooking his pinky with mine.

“Layla, did I get it right?”

Lucas’s pinky curled around mine, warm and sure. The table was silent, but the air buzzed with tension. For the first time that night, I let myself smile for real, a quiet thrill running through me. For once, I felt like maybe I had the upper hand. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t the only one who could play this game.