Page 94 of The Equation of Us
“Ranch is a perfectly acceptable condiment.”
I smile, watching them bicker. This feels almost normal—the three of us sprawled across the floor of Daphne’s apartment, surrounded by pizza boxes, nail polish bottles, and half-empty wine glasses. Girls’ night, just like old times.
Except nothing about this is normal. Not the way my stomach twists every time Daphne mentions Dean. Not the guilt that’s become my constant companion. Not the text messages from him I’ve been ignoring all evening.
“Earth to Nora,” Sadie waves a hand in front of my face. “Where’d you go?”
“Sorry,” I say, refocusing. “Just thinking about that assay protocol I need to finish tomorrow.”
“No shop talk,” Daphne declares, topping off my wine glass. “Tonight is about forgetting responsibilities and enjoying eachother’s company. God knows we need it after everything that’s happened.”
She’s not wrong. The past two weeks have been chaotic for all of us—finals looming, the Archer deadline approaching, and Daphne’s pregnancy scare upending what little stability remained.
“Speaking of everything that’s happened,” Sadie says, settling back against the couch. “How are you doing? Really?”
The question is directed at Daphne, whose smile falters slightly. “I’m okay. Better than I expected, honestly. The relief of not being pregnant outweighs the disappointment of James turning out to be a complete asshole.”
“He did you a favor,” Sadie says firmly. “Anyone who bails at the first sign of trouble isn’t worth keeping around.”
“True.” Daphne takes a sip of her wine. “And it helped having Dean there. He was… amazing, actually.”
My chest tightens at the casual mention of his name. I focus intently on repainting my thumbnail, hoping my face doesn’t betray anything.
“Oh?” Sadie prompts, her tone carefully neutral. I can feel her glancing my way.
“Yeah.” Daphne’s expression softens. “He dropped everything to take me to the appointment. Didn’t ask questions, didn’t judge, just… showed up. The way he always does.”
I’ve been avoiding looking at her, but at this, I can’t help raising my eyes. The fondness in her voice is unmistakable.
“That was good of him,” I manage.
“It was more than good,” Daphne says. “It made me realize something.”
Oh no. I know that tone. That dreamy, nostalgic, I’ve-had-an-epiphany tone.
“I think I made a mistake breaking up with him.”
The words hang in the air, heavy and significant. Sadie carefully sets down her wine glass, her eyes flicking to me with barely concealed panic.
“Really?” she asks, giving me time to compose myself. “Last time we talked, you were pretty clear about why things weren’t working.”
“I know, I know.” Daphne sighs. “But I think I was focusing on all the wrong things. Yes, Dean’s intense. Yes, he can be controlling sometimes. But when it really mattered—when I was terrified and alone—he was there. No questions asked.”
“That’s what friends do,” I say, my voice sounding strange to my own ears.
“Except we’re not really friends,” Daphne counters. “We barely talked after the breakup until the pregnancy scare. But he still showed up.” She leans forward, eyes bright. “And the way he looked at me in that waiting room… I think there might still be something there.”
My stomach drops to somewhere near my feet. I reach for my wine, needing something to do with my hands.
“Have you talked to him about this?” Sadie asks cautiously.
“Not yet.” Daphne tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s been a little distant since we got the negative result. I wanted to wait until the timing felt right.”
Sadie’s expression is carefully blank. “And what makes you think he’s… available?”
“Well, that’s the thing.” Daphne refills her own glass. “He has been acting different lately. More distant. Checking his phone more. I’m worried—” She breaks off, then laughs self-consciously. “This sounds so paranoid, but I’m worried he might be seeing someone else.”
I nearly choke on my wine.
