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A photo of him leaning against the bar, drink in hand, that cocky half-smile on his face. And beside him, a girl.

Blonde, long legs, tight dress. She’s laughing, one hand on his arm, her body tilted just slightly into his. Like she belongs there. Like she’s been there before.

My stomach knots.

I study the picture too long. It’s not that he did anything wrong. He didn’t even post it. But there it is…the world he lives in. The effortless way women orbit him. The kind of effortless I can’t compete with.

I set the phone down and pull in a breath. Then I open my camera roll and scroll. There it is. The photo from poker night. Me curled into Nate’s lap, both of us smiling like the rest of the world didn’t exist. It should make me feel better.

Instead, it makes me feel foolish.

The phone rings. I jump.

It’s Allison.

I hesitate, but swipe to answer. "Hey."

Her face fills the screen, hair in a sleek bun, brows already raised. "Mandy. Are you seriously dating Nate Jones?"

I blink. "Hi to you, too."

"Don’t deflect. I saw the picture on Instagram. You’re all over the comments. Mandy Fields, future attorney, caught up with some NHL bad boy."

I sigh, sinking back in my chair. "It’s not like that."

Allison snorts. "He’s nice to look at, sure. But come on. Do you know how many girls that guy's been linked to? There were literal Twitter threads."

"That doesn’t mean anything now."

"It means he has a reputation, Mandy. A big one. And you’re just starting your life. You worked so hard to get here."

"And I’m not throwing that away."

"You say that, but relationships like this... they don’t end well. They end in heartache."

I press my lips together. "You don’t know him."

"I know enough. He’s a hockey player, Mandy. And not the wholesome team-dad type. He’s the tattooed, fan-favorite defenseman who sleeps around and gets in fights."

"He’s also the guy who checks on me after late nights, who lets me study in his apartment because mine is too loud, and who made me pasta when I forgot to eat."

Allison frowns. "Even so, don’t lose sight of your future for someone who probably doesn’t even see one with you."

That one lands too hard.

I go quiet.

"Mandy, I’m not trying to be mean. I’m your sister. I’ve seen what guys like him do. They make you feel like you’re the only one until they don’t."

"This isn’t about you and your ex."

She flinches.

I regret it instantly, but I’m too wound up to take it back. "I’m not you, Allison. I know what I’m doing."

"I hope so. Just... be careful. Please."

We hang up soon after, the air brittle with tension.