Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have a title until much later.

 Jory really felt he was on the outs these days with Dan. All because of Ivy moving in. 

There felt to be no room in their apartment these days. Of course, Rachel was more hands-on than he ever thought possible. He didn't remember any of these sorts of things happening with Poppy. Not that he thought about her much as the days grew longer. But still, he wasn't sure any of this was proper with Rachel and it didn't seem to be in her vocabulary.

She was rather touchy-feely and it was a bit enlightening. She kept him in stitches, so to speak. Just when he was tied up with all her ways, he felt he was on a brink of a disaster of some sort. And suddenly, he let her make all the calls.

"Well then, don't bother with him," Rachel explained that Dan didn't really care if he was there or not. He only had that girl and her baby on his brain. "You could be with me."

Jory knew she might be right. He spent a lot of his time with Rachel. Occasionally, he'd let her make the rules. And she'd bought him things too. Like couples graphic tees and some underwear he still wasn't sure how to get in too. 

Yes, she was all giggles and bubbly and she wanted him. So it happened so fast that it might as well been the speed of sound. And he just couldn't walk away now. 

They were meeting her friends, going places even if he wasn't so sure were safe. He even got sick with her, even if she said it was only allergy season. Yes, he was staying at her place. And he hadn't even meant to.

"You need to make it official," Rachel insisted.

Jory only nodded and said he would, but it was just hard to bring it up with Dan who was so busy with Ivy. Dan shared his room with Ivy and the baby. Maybe he hadn't noticed all these changes. But somehow, Jory thought Dan might be drowning in his own abyss. 

They'd both made mistakes. And Jory knew he hadn't stayed away from the girl across the hall like he'd promised Dan, but then again Dan wasn't a confirmed bachelor anymore.

"Maybe I was only following your lead," Jory finally told him one night when Ivy was with the baby in Dan's room.

"What are you going on about?" Dan looked too harsh for words. Somebody was wearing him out. Jory thought he must have been in a much better place than Dan, even if it was with shallow Rachel.

"You know, you aren't who I thought you were," Jory shrugged.

"What?"

"You were in love with Ivy all along, and you were cold. The coldest. even in the thick of it." Jory gave his roommate a soured look. "And you told me Rachel was a bitch."

"Well, she is," Dan winced hard as if he could see through all her schemes. 

"Well..she's been good to me," Jory snapped, knowing this would not end well. "And..and I like her." Jory wanted to say it was love, but he didn't know that for sure because he thought he loved Poppy, and that went nowhere even if he'd done his best to cherish her like some princess. 

"Oh, it's just sex.. you know," Dan told him, looking him in the eye.

"What?" Jory wasn't sure if Dan was full of rage now or just gone cold. Jory thought his body might be shaking with fury.

Dan's sly laugh got to him. "Oh, yeah, she finds her a fellow every spring, drags him along. I doubt you can keep up with her."

"What are you saying?" But that really wasn't the question in Jory's throat. "How do you know?"

"Oh, I know these things." He left it at that. As if he'd experienced it himself. Maybe, it happened at the hospital.

Jory was certain he might shatter, but he couldn't stay here. He was getting his things and going. But there was a lump in his throat. He would have to choose. There was no going back to Dan's.

He pushed what he could in his backpack and laundry basket. Honestly, Jory didn't have much. And of course, Rachel was waiting in her doorway. Somehow, Jory needed to see this through. It might have been May but the nights were still cold.