Thanks to his dad's overly enthusiastic meddling, James and I got back together.

I don’t know what Joe said to James, but Mia started showing up less and less around us.

When Valentine’s Day rolled around, James surprised me with a big bouquet of roses.

“Thank you!”

I smiled shyly, leaning into his arms before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mia standing at a distance, staring at us.

Tears rolled down her face.

So, she cried when she thought no one was watching?

I glanced back at the bouquet of roses in my hands.

It was funny. I'd told James before that I didn’t like roses. So who suggested roses in the first place?

“Ames, I got us two tickets to the newest sci-fi blockbuster. Want to go see it?”

I lowered my gaze and answered softly, “Sure, whatever you want.”

James spun me around in excitement, smiling like a fool. “Ames, you’re the best!”

When I glanced back to where Mia had been standing, her eyes were red as she walked away.

At the dimly lit theater, James went to buy popcorn while I left the bouquet at the counter for safekeeping.

Turning a corner, I ran into Mia.

Well, what a coincidence, or maybe not.

She was with a group of guys who often hung out with James.

“So this is the girl James calls his girlfriend? Wow, she’s drop-dead gorgeous. A total goddess!”

The group burst into laughter, and Mia coolly brushed her bangs out of her face.

“Yeah, this is James’ girl. What movie are you two here to see?” she asked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp.

Before I could answer, James came back.

As luck would have it, we were seeing the same movie, with seats right next to each other.

Mia snatched the popcorn out of James’s hands and started dividing it among the other boys.

“Come on, James, share with us! We didn’t have time to grab snacks before the movie started.”

The group joked and nudged each other as they made their way into the theater, leaving James holding the one remaining box of popcorn.

He looked at me nervously.

“Why are you staring at me, James? Let’s go. The movie’s about to start.”

I took his hand and led him toward the theater, the dim glow of the hallway lights blurring the vision.

It was hard to tell if it was a coincidence or deliberate, but Mia's seat ended up right next to James.

With a cheeky grin and her popcorn in hand, she chirped, "Perfect! After the movie, we can grab dinner together."

I kept my eyes fixed vaguely ahead. I had no interest in joining their conversation.

This movie must’ve been the kind they all liked. By the second half, James and the others were huddled together, whispering enthusiastically.

Me? I was so bored I couldn’t stop yawning.

Seeing them chatting away happily, I decided to take a quick nap. Who would’ve thought that by the time I woke up, even the credits had finished rolling?

As we left the theater, Mia was eagerly discussing the movie’s plot with James.

The two of them grew more engrossed in their conversation, gradually drifting farther ahead of the group.

That left me trailing behind with James’ buddies.

Maybe my silence made everyone think I was upset because they started trying to cheer me up.

One guy cracked jokes, while another went off to buy me a smoothie and snacks.

"Don’t mind Mia. She’s known James forever. They’ve got all these shared interests and always get carried away talking. We’ve learned to just stay out of it."

I smiled warmly, trying to be understanding. "I get it. They’re best friends. It’s normal for them to have a lot to talk about."

It took James thirty minutes to realize he’d left me behind with his entourage. By the time he came jogging back, he looked genuinely apologetic.

“Ames, I’m so sorry, I—”

I raised my hand dramatically, cutting him off mid-sentence.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You and Mia haven’t caught up in a while, right? A little extra chatting is no big deal. I’m not that petty.”

Handing off the smoothie and snacks to his friends, I looped my arm through James’ with a sudden burst of affection.

“James, I’m starving! Let’s go eat!”

I swear, I had never used such a sugary tone since I was a kid. However, it worked like a charm!

James’ face went beet red, and his friends were instantly fired up, hooting and hollering in delight.

The only one who wasn’t amused was Mia. She stood frozen, fists clenched at her sides, her eyes suspiciously shiny.

Gone was her bubbly, talkative demeanor from earlier.

In the private room, the only person I knew well was James.

Mia, however, was in her element, rallying the crowd to keep pouring drinks for him.

Some of the guys looked a little guilty, sneaking glances my way as they raised their glasses.

It wasn’t hard to piece it together. Mia had probably put them up to this.

I had to admit she had her ways. Getting this many people to follow her lead wasn’t easy.

Then again, they’d all been friends far longer than I’d been in the picture.

As the alcohol started to take effect, James suddenly turned to me, his face flushed, and pulled me into a drunken hug and kiss.

“Ames, Ames, you’re so beautiful. I like you so much.”

Smiling faintly, I placed my hand between his alcohol-scented lips and my face.

“My dad likes you, too. He said I have to marry you.”

Internally, I scoffed. Joe could keep dreaming.

Before James could lean in again, Mia stepped forward, prying him off me.

“James, calm down. Look, even Ames is tired of you now.”

Then, somehow, Mia managed to position herself right in James’ path. His next attempt to kiss me landed squarely on her lips instead.

Mia’s reaction was immediate. She shoved James back hard, and he stumbled onto the floor. A glass of water tipped over, drenching his head.

The splash was loud enough to snap him halfway out of his drunken haze.

Mia’s eyes brimmed with tears, glistening, but not quite falling. She glanced at me, then locked eyes with a dazed James for what felt like an eternity.

Like a whirlwind, she bolted from the room.

James, now sitting on the floor, touched his lips in confusion before scrambling to his feet and dashing after her.

“Haha! Don’t take it personally, Ames,” one of James’s buddies joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“How could I be upset? It was just an accident, after all,” I responded to their awkward attempts to act like everything was fine.

My response seemed to shock them. They were probably surprised at how much I seemed to not care about my dignity.

Or maybe they just thought I was crazy.

We stayed in the private room for another hour, waiting. Finally, James came back, dragging a tear-streaked Mia along.

They’d clearly cooled off in the night air, and the tension between them was now replaced by a cautious distance.

“James, you’re back! Let’s head home!” I said cheerfully, pretending nothing had happened.

I didn’t care what had gone on between the two of them outside. All I knew was that it was late, and I was ready to go to bed.

James’s buddies took the opportunity to make a quick exit, probably relieved to escape the awkward atmosphere.

I hailed a cab and invited James to ride with me. After all, we lived nearby and were headed in the same direction.

James hesitated, glancing between me and Mia. Finally, as though steeling himself, he turned to her.

“Mia, don’t take what happened tonight to heart. It was all my fault for drinking too much. From now on, let’s stay good friends, alright?”

I slid into the cab first, rolling my eyes where no one could see. Was the alcohol affecting his brain?

By the time James joined me, I had already composed myself, my face soft and gentle once more.

“All taken care of, James,” I said sweetly. “I called Mia a cab, too. No need to worry.”