Ever since we saw each other at LuxeFlix, Dominic has run into me wherever he can. He stopped by my locker Wednesday morning to say how nice it had been to see me at the theater; he wished me luck when I got called out of trig the following day to grab the bus for an away swim meet; and he came by after lunch the day after that to give me leftovers from one of his mom’s catering jobs. It would all feel very boyfriend-y if it wasn’t for his actual boyfriend, who he continued to show up for too: making out with Miguel at lunch in the quad, making out before swim practice, making out in the parking lot against his Jeep. But if the way he looked at me when he found me in private told me anything, this plan was already working. He had that full smile on his face every time, the one that won me over from the start, that makes you feel like you’re the star of the show.

There’s this picture I still have on my nightstand after the state swim meet last year where I’m getting a third-place medal around my neck from some state official. I’m dripping wet and awkwardly looking at the camera. So is the state official with his hand out to shake mine, which I totally don’t see, and Dominic is clearly running at me in the background with his megawatt smile. Right after the picture was taken, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, locking his hands over my stomach, and gave me the biggest squeeze. “I’m so proud of you.” He said it to me after every meet, and I always knew he meant it. That was the thing about Dominic. He made sure I knew how much he cared. He’d go above and beyond to help me with anything I needed: helping with lighting when filming a short for film class, making sure I always had a clean tank and shorts in my duffel bag before practice, texting me with pictures of what his mom was making for dinner and to come get it after my shift at the beach club. And he meant “get it” in more ways than one.

Ross’s hand twitches in mine. I suddenly feel Bubble Guts since I’m thinking about D yet doing something affectionate with another person. I know we plan on kissing in front of him, but for some reason it feels wrong that I’m continuing boyfriend behavior with Ross when no one is nearby to see it, when it’s not part of the plan to win Dominic back.