Chapter 1

At my girlfriend's birthday party, her best guy friend, Brian, held a glass and laughed at me.

"Don't take it personally," Brian said. "Back then, whenever she got drunk, I was the only one she'd let carry her, and when she fell asleep, she'd only grab my hand."

I nodded, then asked him seriously, "So, are you saying my girlfriend used to treat you like her boyfriend?"

The private room went quiet.

Emily tapped her bowl with her chopsticks, frowning. "Alex Carter, don't make this awkward."

I looked at her and asked one more question.

"Seriously, what's more awkward? Me calling it out, or you two doing it?" I asked.

*****

On the night of Emily Grant's birthday, the private room was full of her college classmates. The smells of alcohol, barbecue, and perfume mingled in the air; chili oil churned in the pot, and the red broth bubbled away.

I was sitting to her left. I had put the peeled shrimp into her bowl when Brian West, on her right, reached over with his chopsticks, picked it up, and tossed it into his mouth.

He chewed it twice with a grin and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Hey, man, don't take it the wrong way," Brian said. "Emily can't stand shrimp veins, so I got used to peeling them for her. Now she'll only eat shrimp I've peeled."

Some people at the table laughed along.

Emily wiped her mouth with a napkin and let it slide.

I stared at my empty chopsticks for a couple of seconds.

I took out the vein, peeled the shell, he snatched it, and she didn't say a thing.

I turned to Brian and asked, "So you're saying she only eats the shrimp you peel, not the ones her boyfriend does?"

Brian's smile faltered for a second, then he forced a laugh.

"Man, you're really taking this to heart. I was messing around," he said.

I nodded. "So, is she gonna eat it or what?"

Emily frowned. "It's dinner, Alex. Why are you so hung up on one shrimp?"

I set my chopsticks down and kept my voice low.

"It's not about the shrimp. I'm trying to figure out the rules here," I said.

The laughter in the room died down.

Brian leaned back in his chair, his arm draped over the back of Emily's seat, his fingertips almost brushing her shoulder.

"Emily, your boyfriend's a real character," Brian said. "Just like you said, a bit slow on the uptake, but he's a solid guy."

Emily's expression shifted, and she took a sip of her juice.

I asked, "She told you I'm slow?"

Brian blinked. "Hey, it's a compliment. She said you're easygoing, you don't sweat the small stuff."

I looked at Emily. "So you think I'm easygoing, so it's okay for you guys to mess with me?"

She set her glass down a little harder than necessary.

"Alex, can you stop blowing this out of proportion?" Emily asked. "Brian's been my friend for years. He's always been like that."

I thought about it for a moment.

"So I can talk to my female friends the same way, right?" I asked.

Emily pressed her lips together.

I pressed on. "If a female friend snatched the shrimp I'd peeled for you and said I only ate shrimp she'd peeled.

"She then rested her arm on the back of my chair and said I only let her carry me when I was drunk, then called me slow and easygoing right in front of you, would you be okay with that?"

Some people took a sip of water, others grabbed their phones, screens flickering on and off.

Brian's smile finally faded.

"Dude, aren't you jealous?" Brian asked.

I shook my head.

"I'm asking for the same standards," I said.

Emily's face darkened, and she lowered her voice. "It's my birthday. Do you really have to do this now?"

I glanced at the cake in the center of the table, the candles still flickering, the edges of the frosting already melting and dripping onto the tray.

I wished I could take back what I said.

But Brian suddenly picked up his glass and clinked it against hers.

"Come on, Emily, don't give him a hard time," Brian said. "He's never had a ten-year bond like ours, so it's normal he doesn't understand."

I looked up at him.

"Ten years, what exactly is this relationship?" I asked.

He paused, caught off guard.

"Is it friendship, family, or the kind of bond you want people to mistake for something more?" I pressed.

The private room went dead silent.

The broth in the pot bubbled even louder, chili peppers surfacing and sinking in the spicy oil.

Emily suddenly stood up, her chair screeching across the floor, making everyone flinch.

"Alex, that's enough," she said.

I stood up too, sliding the birthday gift box in front of her.

"I'm not done yet," I said. "This is the first time I'm actually asking for the truth."

Her eyes filled with tears, like I'd trapped her with nowhere to go.

"Why do you have to embarrass me like this?" she asked.

I looked at her.

"When he was making me the butt of the joke just now, you didn't ask him why he was putting me on the spot," I said.

Brian set his glass down, the bottom clinking against the glass turntable.

"Emily, I'll go," Brian said. "Don't let me ruin your night."