The Unexpected

Bea's POV

I invited Ryan to my house.

So, there I was, with Ryan sitting on my couch, the man who was once my boyfriend and is now my friend. Ah, the joys of navigating the post-relationship friendship territory. Ryan had been a great boyfriend, but we both realised that we were better off as friends. Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself.

"So, Bea, how's life treating you?" Ryan asked, sipping his drink casually.

"Oh, you know, same old, same old," I replied with a nonchalant shrug, trying to act cool as a cucumber.

He raised an eyebrow, looking a little too perceptive for my liking. "You seem a bit... off. Is something bothering you?"

"Nah, I'm just enjoying the single life," I said, attempting to change the subject.

Ryan chuckled, seeing right through my feeble attempt to deflect. "Sure you are. So, any interesting prospects on the horizon?"

I mentally cursed myself for inviting him over and putting myself in this awkward situation. "Um, well, you know, there might be a guy I'm interested in," I said, trying to sound casual.

His eyes lit up with curiosity. "Really? Do I know him?"

I had to think on my feet, making up some elaborate story. "Yeah, you might have met him at the party a few weeks ago. He's funny, charming, you know, the whole package."

Ryan's smile faded a little, but he seemed genuinely happy for me. "That's great, Bea. I'm glad you're putting yourself out there."

"Thanks," I replied, feeling guilty for lying to my friend.

I guess he also forgot about my fake boyfriend, Jake-

"So, do you think you would ever consider getting back together with Josh?" Ryan asked, his voice tinged with a hint of hope.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about the secret relationship I have with Josh. "Honestly, I don't think so," I said, putting on my best poker face.

Ryan looked a little disappointed, but he nodded understandingly. "Well, it's a shame. You two were good together."

"Yeah, it's just... not the right time, you know?" I said, trying to sound convincing.

"If you ever change your mind, you know I'm here for you," Ryan said, giving me a reassuring smile.

I smiled back, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Ryan. You've always been a great friend."

The conversation continued, and we caught up on each other's lives. Ryan mentioned his lunch date with Jess, and I couldn't help but be curious. "So, how did the lunch date with Jess go?"

Ryan chuckled, leaning back on the couch. "Jess is fun to be around, but I don't think it could ever be anything more serious. We're better off as friends."

I nodded, secretly relieved that he felt that way. The last thing I needed was any more complicated dynamics in my life.

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Josh's POV

Here I was, standing at Bea's doorstep with a bouquet of flowers in hand, determined to make her happy and, okay, maybe hoping for some bedroom action later on. Hey, I'm a guy, cut me some slack.

I knocked on the door, my heart pounding with anticipation. But when the door opened, it wasn't Bea who greeted me—it was Ryan. Talk about a fucking plot twist.

"Hey, Josh, what are you doing here?" Ryan asked, looking as confused as I felt.

"Uh, hey, Ryan," I stammered, trying to regain my composure. "I, uh, brought these flowers for Bea's mom."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Really? Your timing is impeccable. Come on in."

I walked inside, still feeling like I'd walked into an episode of some bizarre reality show. And there was Bea, looking stressed out and clearly not pleased to see me.

"Josh, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a mix of frustration and surprise.

"Hey, I just wanted to bring these flowers for your mom," I said, trying to sound innocent.

"Right, because you're known for being the flower delivery guy," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

Ryan tried to defuse the tension. "It's fine, Bea. Josh can stay."

"Oh, can he?" she replied, giving Ryan a pointed look.

"Yeah, I mean, it's just flowers," Ryan said, not entirely convinced.

I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Ryan had given me the green light. But then he noticed the flowers in my hand and couldn't resist teasing me.

"So, Josh, you've suddenly become the neighborhood florist, huh?" Ryan laughed.

"Ha-ha, very funny," I replied, trying to play it cool.

Ryan eventually left, and it was just Bea and me in her living room. The atmosphere was awkward, to say the least.

"Look, Josh, I appreciate the gesture with the flowers, but you can't just show up unannounced like this," she said, crossing her arms.

"I know, I'm sorry," I said, feeling genuinely remorseful. "I just wanted to make you happy."

"Well, surprising me like this doesn't make me happy," she replied, her frustration evident.

Before she could say anything more, I pulled her close, and kissed her.

Hey, desperate times called for desperate measures-

At first, she seemed taken aback, but then she relaxed into the kiss, and it felt like the world around us disappeared. Maybe this was the grand gesture I needed to win her over.

When we finally pulled away, she looked at me with a mix of surprise and something else I couldn't quite place.

"That was unexpected," she said, her cheeks flushed.

"I'm full of surprises," I replied, grinning.

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Bea's POV

Okay, so maybe suggesting an open relationship wasn't my best idea ever. But hey, I've seen it in movies, and some people swear by it, right? So, why not give it a shot? Josh's reaction, however, was not what I had anticipated.

"Are you fucking crazy?" he asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

I tried to remain calm, but the frustration was starting to get to me. "No, I'm not crazy! I just think it could be a way for us to explore and make sure we're making the right choice."

Josh let out an exasperated sigh, clearly not on board with my brilliant idea. "Bea, we don't need an open relationship to figure things out. We can talk and communicate -"

"But this way, we can have more freedom to see other people without it being a big deal," I argued.

He rolled his eyes, clearly not convinced. "And how is that supposed to make our relationship stronger?"

"It's about exploring and not feeling restricted," I replied, trying to make my case.

"Well, I don't need to explore anything. I'm committed to you," he said firmly.

I felt a pang of guilt, realizing that my suggestion had hurt him. "I'm committed to you too, Josh. I just need the chance to figure things out for myself."

He pushed past me, clearly upset. "Well, maybe you should figure things out on your own then," he said coldly, walking out and slamming the door behind him.

And wouldn't you know it, just when I thought things couldn't get any more chaotic, Steph called with an invitation to a party.

"Hey, Bea! Guess what? There's a party tonight, and everyone's going to be there!" Steph exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Everyone?" I asked, a hint of curiosity creeping in.

"Oh, you know, the whole gang—Grace, Theo, Ryan, and maybe even Josh!" she replied, not missing a beat.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that's a lineup. Are you sure it's a good idea to have all of us in one place?"

"Come on, Bea, it'll be fun! Plus, you could use a night out," Steph said, trying to convince me.

And it did convince me.