George just walks into my flat without bothering to knock. It's handy that I gave him a key, so I can stay in my comfortable seat at times like this.

"How was Brighton?" he asks, setting his keys on the table by the door and sitting down next to me.

I shrug, slightly unsure on how to word everything.

His brows furrowed. "What happened?"

I sigh. I knew I was going to tell him about Ric, but I'm not going to mention the whole Lucas/Wilbur thing. I don't want to ruin any friendships because of my drunken actions.

Well anymore than mine and Wilbur's.

"Ric showed up," I say softly.

George sits up straighter. This is not his favorite topic, but he knows it's undeniable to come up again every once in a while. It's my past; these types of things follow you till the end of your days.

"What did he want?"

"To apologize." I roll my eyes. It wasn't the first time he tried to apologize. At first, I accepted and hung out with him as friends again. It only ended up in being hurt after we couldn't handle being friends.

George assesses my facial expressions. His brows furrowed. I must not seem as perplexed as usual about this situation.

"What did you say?" he asks, carefully treading the usually-rocky waters.

I shrug. "Something along the lines of him being a liar."

George smiles now, giving my shoulder a nudge. "That's my girl. You show him."

I try not to, but a smile peaks through my expression. "I mean, Max was the one who got him to leave, but I think I held my ground pretty well."

"Progress. It's better than nothing." George looks like he's full of pride, and that makes me happy. "Next time you'll be the one telling him to fuck off."

I laugh. "Although I hope there's not a next time, I wouldn't be against the satisfaction of telling him to fuck off."

"I think we would all like that satisfaction," George says as he stretches his arms a bit.

I glance down as my phone rings. Wilbur.

I take a shaky breath and press decline.

He must've felt the awkwardness and tension on the call earlier. Something is not the same between us. Something changed, and I'm not sure we can go back.

"Why'd you decline?" George asks, a quizzical expression taken over his face.

"Umm," I search my brain for a reason that I wouldn't talk to Wilbur besides the actual truth. "I was just with him in Brighton." Or a version of him. "I'm home now, so it's George and Maia time now."

George rolls his eyes at that before starting to stand from the couch. "You're an idiot sometimes." He walks in the direction of the kitchen. "Do you have any biscuits?"

I give him a face before following him. "I just got back from a vacation. Who do you think I am? An adult?" I joke, "I haven't gotten groceries yet."

I lean on the counter as George scours my cabinets.

My phone screen lights up with a text. My heart races at Wilbur's name. I swipe left to make it disappear without bothering to read it. Out of sight out of mind.

"You sure something didn't happen between you guys?" George asks, looking at my phone screen now.

"Yeah, we're better than ever," I say. My voice is a higher pitch than I wish it was. "It's just about a stream idea we have. It can wait for later."

George eyes me. He doesn't believe me at all, but hunger wins over as he pulls out his own phone.

"I'm ordering Nando's," he says, "You want anything?"

I sigh yet I'm not completely relieved. "Get an extra side of chips for me please."

George only nods and types away some more. I hold my phone in my hands as if to stabilize them from shaking so much.

I hate lying to George.