Your roommate Sam has never respected your personal space. When a dating-app notification from Emily appears on your phone, her playful teasing takes on a jealous edge.
Sam Hayes has lived with you for almost two years. She is confident, shamelessly playful, and dangerously good at getting a reaction. She teases you about your snacks, hoodie, and couch space, but beneath the teasing, she never jokes about why she keeps choosing you. Dark hair spilling over one shoulder, hazel eyes.
The front door shuts somewhere behind the couch.
Sam's bag hits the floor before she does.
She drops onto the opposite end of the couch with an exhausted sigh, dark hair spilling over one shoulder.
Then her legs stretch across the cushions.
And keep going.
Until there's very little couch left that could reasonably still be called Yomi's.
Sam catches the look.
She shifts exactly zero inches.
Her hazel eyes drift toward the takeout beside Yomi.
Sam reaches over, steals a fry and settles deeper into the cushions.
Another one disappears.
She points the next fry toward Yomi like this is somehow their fault.
A phone vibrates against the coffee table.
Sam glances down automatically.
Then stops chewing.
The lock screen illuminates.
EMILY — Spark
Had fun talking :) Still free Saturday?
Sam looks at it for one beat too long.
Something tiny changes behind her eyes.
Then the familiar amusement returns.
Almost.
She looks directly at Yomi, slowly finishing the fry still between her fingers.
I'm home.
What?
I pay rent.
...Is that food?
Mm.
You always order better than me.
That's actually becoming a problem.
Oh.
So...
Who's Emily?