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IN THE COLD and empty o ce, Ari paced. Sloane had only moved to her new o ce a few days ago, but it already felt like an eternity. Her absence had weirdly coincided with an unexpected cold front. Ari took the sudden loss of heat outside and in as a cosmic joke at her expense.

Ignoring the side of the o ce she’d covered in work so it didn’t look so vacant, Ari picked up her phone and texted Yelena. After some hardcore pity-partying, she’d signed up to take the February bar exam. Ari o ered to help her study, but Yelena agreed to accept her meticulous outlines instead.

Unable to concentrate, Ari checked in on Jasmine too.

Apparently, Seattle in late October was cold and rainy, but she’d met a guy on a dating app, so she wasn’t letting the inhospitable weather get her down.

As they texted about her promising dating life, Sloane’s voice wafted into her o ce like a heartache inducing fog.

She was probably still at the far end of the hall, but she was talking to someone loudly about a case. Dave by the sound of it.

When they passed her doorway, Sloane didn’t even bother waving hello. She was too entrenched in their conversation about his upcoming trial.

Jealousy raged cold and bitter through her tense body. She didn’t expect to partner up for every trial, but that didn’t mean she was eager to watch her sashay around the o ce flaunting it in her face.

Ari dropped her head on her desk. You’ve reached a new pathetic low, my friend. If only the knowledge that she was being ridiculous had any impact whatsoever on her ability to stop herself from being jealous of Dave of all freaking people.

It’s not like she was going to ruin his pantyhose.

Staring at her phone, Ari debated texting Jasmine about it.

How would she even start to explain what was happening between them when she couldn’t even explain it to herself?

Defeated, Ari decided that ca eine was always the answer.

Pulling a co ee pod out of her drawer, she grabbed her empty mug and strode toward the kitchen. She was lost in thought as her co ee brewed, tipsy on memories of kissing Sloane, when the scent of coconut suntan lotion filled her nose. It was the smell of law school. Of rivalry. Not the sophisticated perfume Sloane usually wore these days.

Ari’s attention snapped to the present. She tried to play it cool, knowing exactly who’d walked in despite her back being to the door, but she couldn’t overcome the desire to look at her.

“Hey,” Sloane said, tossing an empty plastic food container into the garbage.

“Hey,” Ari replied, her voice hoarse from disuse. Since Sloane was no longer sharing her space, she hadn’t had a

reason to talk all day.

Instead of leaving once she’d done what she’d gone there to do, Sloane lingered by the door in her tailored light gray trousers and pale pink shell tucked into the high-waisted pants. With her hair down and her jacket likely hanging on the back of her chair, she was just the perfect amount of relaxed to be unnerving.

“How are you liking your new o ce?” Ari asked as casually as she could.

Sloane tucked her hands into her pockets and leaned against the doorframe. “It smells disturbingly of lunchmeat,” she replied dryly, her eyes fixed on Ari’s face, leaving her nowhere to hide if she wanted to avert her gaze.

“Weird,” Ari replied, knowing it o ered no place for the conversation to go despite wanting their interaction to last.

“I brought in an air purifier. Hopefully it can stand up to the ghost of delicatessens past that are apparently in there.”

Ari chuckled, grateful that her co ee was finished so she had a reason to break eye contact without conceding the overwhelming nature of its intensity. “I heard you’re Dave’s trial partner,” she divulged before kicking herself for her inability to act nonchalant.

“He’s got a really interesting one,” she responded.

“I bet,” Ari muttered as she poured creamer into her co ee.

Sloane’s heels clicked against the cheap, white tiles as she neared. “Don’t worry,” she said in a voice so low it was almost a growl, “no one’s as good as you. There’s no need to be jealous,” she added, leaning against the counter where Ari was making her co ee.

Despite the sudden proximity, Ari didn’t move away. “Oh, please. Like he even compares,” she replied, turning her head to the side to show Sloane she couldn’t care less despite caring too much.

Sloane smirked. “I keep telling you, Frodo. You have to get better at hiding your cards.”

The use of the nickname Ari hadn’t heard in so long threw her o kilter, causing her to tilt the sugar dispenser too aggressively and dump a massive portion of the contents into her mug. Ruining it.