𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 & 𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 ━ girl meets world²

9│OLD FRIENDS, NEW PATHS

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❛ ʟᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ & ʟᴀᴄᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄  ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴏʟᴅ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs, ɴᴇᴡ
ᴘᴀᴛʜs ꒱


❝ I'LL JUST BE A
PLACEHOLDER UNTIL
YOU MEET THE WOMAN
OF YOUR DREAMS ❞

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"And that's how I ended up in a love triangle with my best friend and the first boy I ever liked romantically," Riley finished with a sigh, having spent nearly the last hour recounting her drama with Maya and Lucas to Evan. He'd noticed her sitting at the bay window by herself and joined her, offering her a hot chocolate.

At first she'd tried to keep her distance but it wasn't in her nature to be unfriendly. Soon, they got to talking— and it was really easy to talk to him. He was a good listener, too, having stayed quiet but attentive the whole time she spoke. It felt good to talk to a third, unbiased person about her dilemma. Evan thought about what she'd shared, then asked, "well, what about this? If you were on a desert island, who would you rather have: Maya or Lucas?"

Riley blinked, surprised by his response. "How is that supposed to help me decide?"

"Just think about it," he encouraged her.

Riley tilted her head at him, brow furrowed. "That's still such a weird question," she remarked, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. "But. . . I guess Maya would probably go native. She'd figure out how to weave palm leaves into a hammock and make a spear out of a stick. And Lucas. . ." She gave a half-smile, shaking her head. "Lucas would be prepared. He probably wouldn't even let us get stuck on the island because he'd somehow brought a SAT phone with him. So technically, we wouldn't be there very long at all. But I don't see how that's supposed to help me make up my mind about who I want to be with."

Evan didn't argue right away. He took a thoughtful sip of his drink before replying, "it's not just your answer, Riley. It's how you said it. When you talked about Maya, you sounded. . . fond, yeah. But also kind of exasperated. Maybe even stressed. Like you love her, but she wears you out sometimes." He let that hang for a moment before he added, "but when you mentioned Lucas. . . there was this warmth in your voice. Like you were comforted just by imagining him being there with you."

Riley flushed. "That doesn't prove anything. I love them both: Maya and Lucas. They're both so important to me."

"I believe that," Evan allowed easily. "But think about this: of the two, who have you imagined more scenarios with? I'm talking about little things: going on dates, walking home from school, going to prom. Maybe even picturing your wedding someday, if you're that kind of girl."

The name leapt out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Lucas." Her eyes widened as soon as she spoke it aloud, and she rushed to explain, "but that's only because I didn't know Maya liked me like that. Not until way later."

Evan tilted his head, studying her expression carefully. "And how long was that?"

Riley glanced down at her light brown surface of her drink as she admitted, "about a year and a half ago. Maybe a little more."

"So in all that time— over six months since you've known how Maya feels— you've never once pictured doing any of those things with her?" Evan queried. "Not a date, not prom, not even a daydream about holding her hand in that way?"

Riley opened her mouth to argue but the words stuck in her throat. Because it was true. She never had. Not in the way she had with Lucas. She wanted to deny it, to tell him that Maya was always there, already such a constant in her life that it didn't even need imagining. But as soon as she started forming that excuse, she realized what it really meant.