Nathan Gets Suspicious

Nathan had always been good at reading people.

It came with being a big brother.

It came with being Daniel's best friend.

He had spent years watching how people moved, how they talked, how they looked at each other when they thought no one was watching.

And lately?

Something had changed.

Daniel was around too much.

He showed up at Sophia's dorm like it was normal.

He texted her more than he texted anyone else.

And he looked at her like she mattered in a way that made Nathan's gut twist.

So he decided to stop pretending it was nothing.

He was going to find out the truth.

Even if he didn't like what he found.

It was a quiet Thursday afternoon when Nathan arrived at Sophia's dorm.

He had texted Daniel earlier, asking if he was home.

Daniel had replied:

Not yet. I'll be there soon.

Nathan blinked.

Then texted Sophia:

Hey, I'm in the city. Can I stop by?

She responded instantly:

Sure. But Daniel's not here yet.

He frowned.

They were both not there?

At the same time?

And not by coincidence?

He didn't say anything.

Just nodded to himself.

And started walking.

When he arrived, Sophia was alone — studying at the small table in the dorm, her laptop open, headphones on.

She looked up, surprised.

"Hey," she said, pulling off her earbuds.

He stepped inside, glancing around.

"Daniel not here yet?"

She hesitated. "No. He said he was running late."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "He told me he was coming here."

Sophia blinked. "He did?"

He studied her — really studied her — and whispered, "You okay?"

She nodded too fast. "Yep."

He crossed his arms. "You kind of do look guilty."

"I don't look guilty," she said quickly.

He smirked. "You kind of do."

She looked away.

And Nathan felt it again.

That small, nagging feeling in his gut.

Something was off.

And he was going to find out what.

Daniel arrived twenty minutes later — looking slightly out of breath, like he had rushed over.

"Hey," he said, walking in like nothing was wrong.

Nathan gave him a long look.

"You were running late."

Daniel gave a half-smile. "Traffic."

Nathan tilted his head. "You live ten minutes away."

Daniel hesitated.

Then dropped his bag on the couch.

Sophia sat beside him.

Not too close.

Not too far.

But Nathan noticed.

He noticed how Daniel glanced at her before speaking.

How she smiled at something he said — not loudly, not dramatically.

But with something in her eyes.

Something soft.

Something knowing.

And Nathan felt that click in his brain again.

The one that told you something wasn't right.

That told you something had changed.

And you were the only one who hadn't seen it yet.

Later that evening, while Sophia was in the shower, Nathan turned to Daniel.

"You two have been spending a lot of time together."

Daniel didn't flinch.

He just sipped his coffee and said, "She's my friend."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

Daniel frowned. "Since always."

"No," Nathan said slowly. "Since recently."

Daniel looked away.

Nathan leaned forward. "You're around her more. You text her more. You look at her differently."

Daniel stayed quiet.

And that silence?

It was louder than any confession.

Nathan didn't push right away.

But he didn't let it go either.

As they waited for Sophia to finish her shower, he studied Daniel — the way he kept checking his phone, the way he sat like he was waiting for something.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked.

Daniel blinked. "Huh?"

"You've been weird since I got here."

Daniel gave a small laugh. "I'm always weird."

Nathan smirked. "Yeah. But not like this."

There was a pause.

Then Nathan said, "You used to ignore her."

Daniel stiffened.

Nathan continued, "You'd ruffle her hair, call her Soph, and move on with your life."

Daniel looked at him — really looked — and said, "She's different now."

Nathan studied him.

"She's not the only one."

Daniel stayed quiet.

And Nathan finally said the words that made Daniel's chest tighten.

"If you're messing with her feelings, I swear I'll kill you."

Daniel didn't deny it.

He just looked at him — really looked — and said, "I would never hurt her."

Nathan studied him.

Then whispered, "You already have."

Daniel swallowed hard.

And for the first time, he wasn't sure if he could keep pretending.

When Sophia came back, Nathan was watching her.

He didn't say much at first.

Just nodded when she asked how work was.

Smiled when she offered him coffee.

But then he said, "You and Daniel have been close lately."

She froze.

Then said, "We're just friends."

Nathan tilted his head. "You say that like you're convincing yourself."

She looked at him — really looked — and whispered, "Why would I need to convince myself?"

Nathan didn't answer.

He just watched her.

Then said, "You've changed."

She blinked. "What?"

"You're not the same girl," he said. "You used to follow him around like he was your hero."

She stayed quiet.

He added, "Now it's like you're with him."

She looked down.

Nathan leaned in.

"Are you dating him?"

The words hit like a punch.

She looked up — eyes wide.

"No," she said too quickly.

He gave her a long, knowing look.

"Then why do you act like you're hiding something?"

She didn't answer.

And that was answer enough.

Later that night, after Nathan left, Sophia sat on the edge of her bed, heart pounding.

Daniel sat beside her.

"You okay?" he asked.

She looked at him — really looked.

"I think Nathan knows."

Daniel didn't say anything.

Just exhaled.

And she whispered, "What do we do?"

He met her eyes.

"We keep going," he said. "Until we know how to tell him."

She swallowed hard.

And Daniel added, "Because I'm not ready to lose you."

She gave a small, shaky smile.

And neither was she.