She had really wanted to like him. She really did. Harper knew that Cath had a hard time with relationships. Ever since they were teens, Cath would go after all the wrong types. Emotionally unavailable, immature, unfaithful. Jumping into relationships that were doomed from the start. So after all these years, when Cath told her about her newest man, how she wanted them to meet, Harper did her best to push aside any preconceived assumptions about the boyfriend. She wanted to give him a fighting chance. Because Cath seemed happy. And then.

“This is Ty, my boyfriend. Ty, this is—“

“Harper, yeah! I think we had some classes together, before I transferred. Freshman year, right?”

Tyler grinned down at her before he pull a chair over and sat down in the little outdoor cafe. Harper took in a small breath and forced a smile.

“Yeah. Long time no see.”

“You two know each other?” Cath asked, breaking into a smile. “What a small world!”

Harper offered a small “mmhmm” and sipped her coffee. She didn’t know what to say. She had hoped she would never encounter Tyler again. Hadn’t even thought of him in over a year. He had been a blip, an unpleasant wrinkle in her freshman year. He seemed nice enough, at first, in class. Maybe a little douche-y. He took things in stride, made friends easily. Sometimes he would make jokes, or murmur a small comment to her in class, things that made her a bit uncomfortable then. But she was young, didn’t know enough to draw the line. To disengage.

The table had fallen silent, Cath looking between the two of them, Harper swirling her remaining coffee with the thin wooden stirring stick. It had been years ago. He probably didn’t even remember. Probably was such a small thing to him. She should give him a chance. For Cath’s sake.

“So,” Harper said, “how did you two meet?”

Cath visibly relaxed and her hand found Ty’s and squeezed.

“You wanna tell it, hon?”

“I’d just moved to the area, about a month ago, for work.” Ty smiled and turned to look at Cath as he continued. “I was trying out a new gym and was having a bit of trouble finding the entrance.”

“It’s sort of confusing if you haven’t been before,” Cath broke in, “and he was yanking on the side door, looking all lost and cute.”

“She showed me the way in, and we got to talking, and now we’re here.”

They smiled at each other, and Ty leaned over to place a small kiss on Cath’s lips. Harper swallowed down a grimace and focused on her coffee cup. He had not been so gentle at the party. His lips had been rough, his mouth had tasted like booze and cigarettes, and his hands were everywhere. Sloppy, fumbling, ignoring her shy and fearful protests. Something had come over her, a jolt of terror or bravery, that stopped it from going any further. Harper had managed to pull herself out of his grasp, managed to tell him to “fuck off” without flinching. Tyler had steadied himself against the wall, clearly out of it, but that was no excuse.

“Relax,” he had said. “You’re such a fucking tease.”

When he transferred the following semester, she was relieved. And now he was here, years later. As if it never happened. Kissing her best friend.