Crap. I yank off the promise ring. I’ve got to keep pulling this doubt out of him. Get him to question his decision so much that he can’t help but realize he was wrong all along.

“Just habit, you know?” I move my duffel bag so my thighs—which I know make Dominic go wild—are in full view. “Guess we didn’t know each other as well as we thought.”

And with that, I leave Dominic to wrinkle his nose as much as he likes.

That shocked look on D’s face after I told him Ross was my new partner puts a skip in my step the entire morning. He never saw that coming, and it feels nice to be the one to rip the rug out from under him for a change. All so he can come stumbling back into my arms and realize that’s where he belonged from the start. We’ll be the stars in the rom-com of my life again before you know it.

But that feeling wears off just before lunch. I’m outside at the quad, headed to the locker Dominic secured for me even though it’s in the senior line and I’m a junior. It’s prime real estate, as the quad is the only area that has any sort of nature: a large square of grass surrounded on all sides by the two-story brick building, palm trees placed in every corner. My locker is right in the middle of the back quad wall, and the quickest way to get there is just to walk right across the grass. I barge through, bobbing around different groups sitting down for lunch, some orchestra kids setting up a string quartet, and the Hacky Sack players that became obsessed with the nineties game after discovering it on Reddit. I dodge the little crocheted ball flying at my face, my sudden momentum sending me barreling right toward a group of guys. I think fast and let my body drop, my butt landing hard on the ground so that I don’t fall right on top of them.

I wince as my tailbone smacks into the unforgiving ground. I decide it’s best not to make eye contact with anybody who just witnessed my epic fall, and quickly get to my feet. But then—

“Sean? Are you okay?”

The group of guys I nearly fell on isn’t just any group of guys. Miguel is getting to his feet to come and check on me, and right next to him is Dominic. When we catch eyes, I can tell he’s concerned. But then his gaze darts away to Miguel, then flashes back to me. Over and over. His forehead scrunches with confusion, hopefully wondering what kind of signals it would send if he rushed to see if I was okay. But D’s eyes drift to the ground as Miguel jogs over and beats him to it.