"Sure. Yeah. Another time." She stands, clearly disappointed. "If you change your mind, text me. Ivy gave me the impression you were single, so..."
"Ivy talked to you about me?" I ask in surprise. I didn’t think she spoke about me to anyone.
"Just said you guys aren't close, that I should ask you myself." She smiles. "So I'm asking."
"I appreciate it. But I'm not really looking to date right now. Focusing on school."
"Okay. Well, the offer stands if you change your mind."
She leaves, and I'm left staring at my laptop, thinking about the fact that Ivy told this girl to ask me out. Ivy, who barely speaks to me. Who leaves rooms when I enter. Who looks at me with carefully controlled hatred.
She's trying to set me up with someone else.
The realization shouldn't bother me. She's moving on. I should move on too.
But the thought of dating someone else, or even pretending to be interested in anyone who isn't Ivy, makes me feel sick.
My phone rings. It’s Marcus.
"Where are you?"
"Library. Working."
"It's Friday night. You've been working all week. Come out with us. There's a group going to dinner."
"I'm busy." I lie, because it’s the last thing I want to be doing.
"You're always busy. Come on, man. You've been here two weeks and you've barely socialized."
He's right. I've been so focused on Ivy, on the project, on our forced interactions, on figuring out how to fix what I broke that I've ignored everything else.
"Fine. Where?"
"That pizza place off campus. Meet us there in twenty?"
"Okay."
I pack up my stuff and head out. Twenty minutes later, I'm sitting in a booth with Marcus and five other people I barely know, half-listening to conversations about classes and weekend plans.
"Ethan?" Marcus nudges me. "You good?"
"Yeah. Sorry. Distracted."
"You've been distracted since you got here. What's going on?"
I could lie. Should lie, but Marcus has been nothing but decent to me, and I'm tired of carrying this alone.
"There's this girl."
"Obviously. You're not exactly subtle about it." He jokes, and I should tell him to fuck off.
"What does that mean?"
"Dude, you look at Ivy like she's the only person in the room. Every time. It's intense."
"It's complicated."
"Most things worth having are." Marcus takes a drink. "Want to talk about it?"