Cara took a deep breath. "I… I think I've found someone I like. I didn't mean for it to happen. I really didn't."
Corey's face darkened, but he didn't speak yet.
"It's Big D, isn't it?" he said after a moment, his voice bitter.
She didn't speak, but her silence confirmed it. Her hands trembled slightly in her lap.
"Unbelievable." Corey scoffed and stood up. "It's Big D. Of course it is. It's always him."
"I didn't plan this," she said quickly, standing too. "I just… it happened. The more time I spent with him… the more I realized—"
"You realized I was just a placeholder?" Corey snapped, his voice rising.
"No!" she said quickly, stepping forward. "That's not it. I liked you. I really did. But with D, it's different. I don't even understand it fully. I just know that if I don't follow what I'm feeling, I'll regret it."
"Regret," Corey muttered, half-laughing in disbelief. "You know what I regret? Thinking you were different."
