Chapter 94 | Nothing
The afternoon did not end with a dramatic confrontation.
That would have been easier.
Instead, Sarah went back into the kitchen and started preparing dinner, Vivian joined her a few minutes later, and Jason remained on the couch trying to convince himself that the situation had somehow become normal.
It hadn’t.
Every few minutes, he caught himself listening to the conversation coming from the kitchen.
Sarah would say something.
Vivian would answer.
Then they would both laugh.
The sound should have relaxed him.
Instead, it made him more aware of how strange everything was.
He had spent weeks talking to Vivian without knowing she was Sarah’s roommate.
He had spent weeks talking to Sarah without knowing Vivian was the girl he had started becoming friends with.
And now both women were in the same apartment, fully aware of everything.
There was no hiding anymore.
Jason pulled out his phone.
The system window was still there.
[Temporary Quest]
[Time Remaining: 6 Days.]
[Current Objective: Complete the assigned condition.]
Nothing else.
He stared at it.
"That’s helpful."
"What is?"
Jason looked up.
Vivian was standing in the doorway.
"Nothing."
She glanced toward his phone.
"You’ve said that a lot today."
"It’s been a strange day."
"That’s true."
She leaned against the doorframe.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Then Vivian said, "Sarah’s okay."
Jason looked at her.
"You sure?"
"She’s pretending she’s okay."
"That’s different."
"Very."
Jason sighed.
"Did she say anything?"
"About you?"
"About me. About us. About this."
Vivian shook her head.
"Not really."
She hesitated.
"She asked me something."
Jason’s stomach tightened.
"What?"
Vivian looked at him.
"Whether I was attracted to you."
He looked away.
"I heard that."
"Oh."
"She wasn’t exactly subtle."
Vivian smiled faintly.
"No."
"What did you tell her?"
"The truth."
Jason looked back.
"Which was?"
"That I think you’re attractive."
He stared at her.
Vivian shrugged.
"I’m not going to lie about something that obvious."
Jason didn’t know how to respond.
Fortunately, Vivian continued.
"But I also told her I didn’t know what I felt beyond that."
"Okay."
"Is that okay?"
"I don’t know."
"Neither do I."
She looked toward the kitchen.
"That’s the problem."
Jason lowered his voice.
"Do you think she believes us?"
Vivian thought about it.
"I think she believes that we didn’t know."
"And the rest?"
"I don’t think she knows what to believe yet."
Jason nodded.
That sounded right.
Then Vivian walked toward him and sat in the armchair opposite the couch.
"I want to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Before today, did you ever think about me?"
Jason paused.
That was harder than it sounded.
"Yes."
Vivian’s expression changed.
"In what way?"
"You’re my friend."
"That’s not what I meant."
"I know."
He rubbed his thumb against the side of his phone.
"I thought you were interesting."
"Interesting?"
"You’re difficult to ignore."
She smiled.
"That’s probably the nicest way anyone has ever described me."
"I meant it positively."
"I know."
A quiet moment passed.
Then Jason asked, "Did you think about me?"
Vivian smiled.
"More than I should have."
His chest tightened.
"Why?"
"I don’t know."
"That’s not an answer."
"It’s the only honest one."
She leaned back.
"I liked talking to you."
Jason nodded.
"I liked talking to you too."
"And I liked going to the gym with you."
"Even though you complained the entire time?"
"I wasn’t complaining."
"You called squats torture."
"They are."
Jason smiled.
Vivian smiled back.
For a brief moment, everything felt almost like it had before.
Then the kitchen door moved.
Both of them turned.
Sarah stood there.
She looked between them.
"What’s funny?"
"Nothing," Vivian said.
"We were talking about the gym."
Sarah looked at Jason.
"You two went to the gym together?"
Jason nodded.
"A few times."
Sarah’s expression changed.
"How many times?"
Jason paused.
Vivian answered for him.
"Three."
Sarah looked at Jason.
"You never told me."
"You never asked."
"I shouldn’t have to ask whether you’re going to the gym with my roommate."
Jason frowned.
"We weren’t doing anything."
"I didn’t say you were."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Vivian stood.
"Sarah."
"I’m not accusing him."
"You sound like you are."
"I’m trying to understand."
Jason stood too.
"I can explain."
Sarah looked at him.
"I know you can."
She took a breath.
"That’s the problem. There are all these things I didn’t know."
Jason fell silent.
Sarah looked down.
"I thought I knew what your life looked like."
"You do."
"Do I?"
She looked up.
"Because apparently you’ve been hanging out with Vivian, studying with Vivian, going to the gym with Vivian, talking about me with Vivian..."
She stopped.
"And none of us knew."
Jason felt guilty.
Not because he’d done anything wrong.
Because he understood why she felt this way.
"I didn’t know."
"I know."
"Sarah."
"I know."
Her voice softened.
"I know you didn’t know."
Vivian stepped closer.
"Sarah, this isn’t his fault."
"I know."
"You don’t have to defend him."
"I’m not."
"You are."
Sarah looked at her.
"I said I know."
Silence.
Then Sarah sighed.
"I’m sorry."
Vivian nodded.
"It’s okay."
Sarah looked at Jason.
"I’m sorry too."
Jason smiled slightly.
"It’s okay."
"No."
She shook her head.
"It’s not."
She sat down.
"I don’t want to become the kind of girlfriend who starts interrogating you because you have female friends."
"You aren’t."
"Maybe not."
She looked at Vivian.
"But she’s my roommate."
Vivian nodded.
"And that’s what makes it weird."
"Exactly."
Sarah leaned back.
"I need time to process this."
Jason nodded.
"Take it."
She looked at him.
"You really aren’t angry?"
"Why would I be?"
"Because I accused you."
"You didn’t."
"I kind of did."
"You were confused."
Sarah stared at him.
Then she smiled slightly.
"You really are annoyingly calm sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"Don’t push it."
Jason smiled.
The tension eased.
Not disappeared.
But eased.
Then Sarah stood.
"Okay."
She looked at Vivian.
"Let’s finish dinner."
Vivian nodded.
"Okay."
She followed Sarah into the kitchen.
Jason remained behind.
He watched them for a moment.
Then he noticed something.
They were acting differently.
Not hostile.
Not cold.
Just more aware of each other.
And somehow, that was more unsettling.
Dinner took another hour.
Jason helped where he could.
Sarah assigned him vegetables.
Vivian handled the meat.
For the first ten minutes, nobody talked about the situation.
Then Vivian started telling a story about one of their professors.
Sarah laughed.
Jason joined in.
Gradually, the conversation became normal.
They talked about school.
Assignments.
Exams.
The upcoming semester.
The study group.
Then Sarah asked Vivian something about a project.
Vivian answered.
Jason listened.
And suddenly, he noticed something he had never noticed before.
Sarah and Vivian were very different.
Sarah was organized.
Vivian was spontaneous.
Sarah thought before speaking.
Vivian spoke and then thought about whether she should have.
Sarah liked having a plan.
Vivian preferred figuring things out along the way.
Yet they fit together.
That explained why they had lived together for so long.
It also made the situation more complicated.
Because Jason wasn’t just dealing with two girls who happened to know each other.
He was dealing with two people who were important to each other.
After dinner, Sarah brought the plates to the sink.
Jason stood.
"I’ll wash."
"I’ll help."
Vivian stood too.
Sarah looked at both of them.
"No."
They stopped.
Sarah pointed toward the living room.
"Both of you. Go."
Jason blinked.
"What?"
"I want to clean."
"I can—"
"Go."
Vivian grabbed Jason’s arm.
"Come on."
Jason allowed himself to be dragged away.
They sat in the living room again.
A few minutes passed.
Then Vivian whispered, "She’s going to be okay."
Jason nodded.
"I think so."
"She’s strong."
"She is."
"She’ll probably tease us about this in a month."
Jason smiled.
"Probably."
Vivian looked at him.
"Maybe sooner."
Jason laughed quietly.
Then his phone vibrated.
This time, the notification wasn’t from the system.
It was from Bree.
Bree: You alive?
Jason frowned.
He replied.
Jason: Unfortunately.
Bree: Sarah’s roommate didn’t kill you?
Jason stared at the message.
His stomach dropped.
He slowly typed.
Jason: how do you know
Three dots appeared.
Bree: Sarah told me you were going over there.
Another message came.
Bree: Obviously.
Jason relaxed.
Jason: no murder yet
Bree: Yet?
Jason: long story
Bree: Tell me.
Jason looked at Vivian.
She noticed.
"Who is it?"
"Bree."
Vivian’s expression changed.
"Bree knows?"
"Apparently."
"About today?"
"No."
Jason’s phone vibrated again.
Bree: Wait.
Bree: Why did Sarah just text me "I need to talk to you later"?
Jason stared at the screen.
Vivian noticed his expression.
"What?"
Jason showed her.
She frowned.
"That’s not good."
"No."
A second message appeared.
Bree: What happened?
Jason typed.
Jason: Nothing.
Bree: You’re lying.
Jason: I’m not.
Bree: Jason.
He sighed.
Jason: I’ll tell you later.
Bree: Now.
Jason locked his phone.
Vivian looked amused.
"She’s persistent."
"You have no idea."
"Actually, I do."
Jason looked at her.
Vivian smiled.
Then Sarah returned.
She looked at Jason’s phone.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah."
"Who was that?"
"Bree."
Sarah’s expression changed.
"Oh."
"She messaged me."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing important."