[Betty’s POV]
The afternoon sun filtered through the café window, casting a warm glow over the small table Brent and I had claimed for lunch. It had been a while since we had time alone together, without my squad, without the ever-present weight of university drama.
Just us. Like before. And honestly? It felt nice.
Brent leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a soft smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
“You remember how we used to sit like this back in high school? Whenever things got rough?”
“Yeah.” I smiled at the memory. “The diner near campus, right? The one with the broken jukebox that only played one song?”
He chuckled. “Yup. And somehow, no matter how many times we complained about it, we still kept going back.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t about the music. It was about the company.”
His smirk softened into something more genuine, something warm.
"Remember when Tommy Jensen spread that rumor about you in junior year?" Brent asked, stealing one of my fries. "And I convinced the entire chess club to start an even bigger rumor about him?"
I laughed, the memory warming me despite the autumn chill seeping through the windows. "That he secretly collected My Little Pony figurines? That was you?"
"Of course it was me." His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled – they always had. "Nobody messes with my best friend."
"I can't believe that worked," I said, shaking my head. "Tommy was mortified for weeks."
For a moment, we just sat there, soaking in the familiarity of it all. It was weird how, despite all the months apart, despite everything that had changed, we could still slip back into this effortless rhythm.
Brent stirred his drink absently, his gaze thoughtful. “You know… back then, I used to think I had to be the one to pull you out of bad situations.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
He exhaled, drumming his fingers against the glass. “You always had so much thrown at you. The pressure, losing your mom… and I felt like I had to be strong for you. That I had to be the one to help you through everything.” He looked up, his olive-green eyes locking onto mine. “But now? Now I see that you don’t need my help anymore. You’ve become so much stronger on your own, Betty.”
I swallowed, the weight of his words settling deep in my chest.
Brent reached across the table, resting his hand lightly over mine. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here, though. I still want you to know that you can count on me. That I’ll always be by your side.”
A lump formed in my throat.
“Brent…” I whispered, touched by the sincerity in his voice.
His grip tightened slightly, just for a moment, before he pulled back, offering me a lopsided smile. “I mean it, you know.”
I nodded, unable to keep the smile from forming on my lips. “I know.”
Just as the moment settled between us, a new voice cut through the air.
“Well, well, look who it is.”
I turned to see Tristan and Roy strolling toward us, their usual cocky smirks firmly in place.
“Didn’t expect to find the newest campus swim star hanging out here,” Tristan added, sliding his hands into his pockets as he stopped at our table.
“Swim star?” Brent arched an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Is that what they’re calling me now?”
Roy grinned. “Dude, you came in and dominated the pool. People talk.”
Brent laughed, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Tristan, however, wasn’t just here to stroke Brent’s ego. He leaned on the back of the empty chair across from us, his gaze sharp, calculating.
"You used to play basketball in high school, right?” he began, his voice smooth, almost too casual. “We heard you were pretty good."
I watched Brent's expression shift – surprise, then something else I couldn't quite read. "Yeah, I played point guard."
"Point guard?" Tristan's eyebrows shot up. "With your height and build? Man, you were wasted in that position. You could've been dominating the court."
Brent blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. “I mean… yeah, maybe. But that was a long time ago.”
“Still,” Roy scoffed. “You’ve got the height. The muscle. Seems like a shame to waste all that in a swimming pool.”
Tristan’s smirk widened. “Swimming’s cool and all, don’t get me wrong. But think about it—you could be putting your build to better use. Our team could use someone like you.”
Brent hesitated, glancing at me briefly before replying. “I thought the team was already full. When I transferred and looked into the sports programs, basketball wasn’t even an option.”
Tristan’s expression turned almost… mischievous.
“Yeah, well… let’s just say a spot’s about to open up.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Brent caught the shift in my posture and frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
Tristan waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing’s official yet. But when I take over as captain, I want the best. And I think you could be an asset to us.”
Brent leaned back in his chair, regarding them carefully. “That’s… a tempting offer.”
“You should think about it,” Tristan said, his tone deceptively light.
Brent nodded, though his expression remained unreadable. “I will.”
“Good.” Satisfied, Tristan clapped him on the shoulder before straightening. “I’ll be in touch.”
With that, he and Roy turned and walked off, leaving an uncomfortable silence in their wake.
I exhaled slowly, trying to shake off the unease curling in my stomach. “That was weird.”
Brent nodded. “Yeah. It was.”
Something about the way Tristan had said ‘a spot’s about to open up’ bothered me.
A lot. And I had a sinking feeling that whatever was coming next—it wouldn’t be good.