“You KNOW what I mean!"

Sam shook her head and furrowed her brow, processing. A moment later, she gave Naimh a confused look and asked, “Have I upset you?"

“Well..." Naimh took a deep breath and gave Sam a serious look before stating unequivocally, "Yes!"

Sam and I exchanged a confused glance. I shifted forward on the chair and gave Naimh a serious look, asking, “Have -I- upset you?"

“Well, yeah... kinda..." the redhead hedged with a sigh and a waggling hand gesture that I nevertheless interpreted to mean the same unequivocal 'Yes!' she'd just used to answer Sam. She then closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.

“I'm sorry, I don't mean to be jealous of your relationship with him."

“But you're jealous of my relationship with him," Sam drawled quietly.

"I can't help it." Naimh sighed. "You got the relationship with him that I wanted. I mean, right when I resigned myself to the idea that we didn't have a future together because we'd be going to different schools, right when I convinced myself he would be happy to run out the rest of the summer being the BTC's boyfriend instead of belonging to just one of us..."

“I went and asked him to be my boyfriend," Sam finished for her.

Naimh nodded.

“I told you then that I wasn’t happy about it.”

“And I told you then that I wouldn't take him away from the rest of you."

“And now we've circled back to the beginning where alright, technically you haven't taken him away from the rest of us," Naimh sighed. "But he's clearly in love with you, Miss Head Girlfriend. Maybe I should have moved out of my parents’ house to be with him."

“It's not too late," Sam muttered. "We could probably talk Beverly into converting her office into another bedroom for the rest of the year."

Naimh shook her head and waved her off.

“I wasn't being serious. My dad would have a heart-attack if I moved out again.”

“I'm really sorry about the whole falling in love thing," Sam apologized. "I swear I never intended--"

“No, no," I interrupted. "Sam's feelings for me haven't changed. I'm the one who told you I'd stay friends-with-benefits with the rest of the girls and then went and fell in Love with Sam. I should be the one apologizing."

“No, no, don't apologize," Naimh stated while shaking her head. "I don't actually blame either of you. I'm happy for you both. There's clear love and emotional connection between you that I never had with him, and I would never wish for anything but happiness for two of my best friends."

“Thank you for that," I said sincerely.

“It's just..." Naimh took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“You may have noticed I haven't been around quite as much as usual. I mean, we still have our playtime, but..."

Sam's eyebrows went up as Naimh's voice trailed off, and she nodded slowly.

“But sometimes it hurt watching him be with me? Watching what you wanted but couldn't have?"

“Something like that." Naimh shrugged.