[Emily] Ben follows Emily outside

Emily waited out on the dock for a long time before someone came out looking for her. To her great frustration, it wasn’t Noah, her fucking boyfriend, but his friend, Ben. She almost didn’t acknowledge him. But it wasn’t his fault, she decided. He hadn’t kissed some random girl just because his girlfriend had pointed to her.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” she grumbled. “What, Noah was too busy locking lips to come?” This wasn’t like her, she reminded herself. She wasn’t a jealous person. Not normally. Couldn’t everyone get a little jealous if they saw their boyfriend of more than a year making out with his coworker?

“He went right to bed. He’s waiting for you,” said Ben.

“Where? Did he kick Rachel and the boys out?”

Ben went stiff. “No,” he said. “They were still playing music, so he just picked another room.” It was obviously bothering him.

“What’s wrong?” she said.

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong, Rachel was cool with it, she’s not my girlfriend. Just… I can’t believe she’d stay cooped up in there with them. When I’m right outside.”

Emily pursed her lips. “Sure,” she said.

“Whatever. Besides, it was all just part of the game. Noah doesn’t actually want to kiss Kate. It’s just… you pointed to him, and to her, so they… had to. You don’t need to worry about Noah. We should’ve listened to Luce while we had the chance.”

“Oh, if you saw Rachel making out with, with Jason, it would all just be a game?” Emily spat.

Ben sat down next to her. Closer than she had expected him to. Emily stared out at the darkened lake, her frustration and hurt simmering beneath the surface. The night air was cool against her skin, providing a brief respite from the charged emotions she was feeling. Ben, sitting beside her, shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to bridge the gap between them. Emily softened just a touch as she looked at Ben, realizing that he was genuinely concerned. “It’s not just the game,” she admitted. “It’s the fact that Noah’s never shown that side of himself before. I thought we were on the same page, and then… well, it felt like a betrayal.”

Ben hesitated before placing a comforting hand on her back. “You don’t have to deal with it alone. I’m here if you need someone to talk to.”

Emily felt a shiver at the warmth of his touch, and she turned to face him. All of a sudden she realized exactly how close he was sitting. “Thanks, Ben,” she said softly. “It’s just… hard to process right now.”

Ben met her gaze, his eyes reflecting sympathy and something else. “I get it. And if you need a distraction or just someone to be here, I’m around.”