Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby

 "Was this a bad idea?" Simone looked at Hoyt wide-eyed as soon as she spotted Mona at the coffee shop. She knew this wouldn't end well. "Why are you doing this to me, Hoyt?" Simone couldn't help but fret. She didn't want to be here. "Couldn't we have just talked on the phone, or just text?" She pressed her lips tight as if he meant to do this.

Of course, he would say nothing. This was his way of breaking up, obviously. She knew he didn't have the guts to go through with it. 

Simone couldn't smile. She was sad even if she wanted to be mad at him. If only she hadn't drank so much wine that night. They'd always been friends. Real friends, until then. But she knew he was hurting and she hadn't met anyone. Ever. Actually.

She wanted to think of herself as a good person. Of course, he kept telling her this at every chance. "You're not like Mona at all." He'd practically squinted tears that night. "Are you sure?" She'd asked and he'd hugged her in return at her place. And that's when it started.

Now it felt so wrong. She didn't like being the other woman. 

Hoyt kept looking at her. He wouldn't even look Mona's way. 

"She's coming over," Simone said under her breath. Hoyt sighed as if to say, "I got this." Only it never left his lips.

"What are you two doing here?" Mona asked so sweetly as if she didn't mind.

Hoyt only looked at her out of the corner of his eye and said with a smirk, "What are you doing here? Checking up on me?"

Mona was closed-lipped after that. Simone was certain Mona would scoot her over and plop herself down in front of Hoyt and say, "What the hell are you trying to do to me!" But she didn't. Before either could look up. She walked out the door.

"Well, that was a close one." Hoyt was all smiles.

"Why can't you just break up with her?" Simone winced at him as if he was just being stupid.

"Because..because..well, how can I? She works for my Mom. And..and my Mom-"

"You need to leave your mother out of this," Simone told him. "She doesn't own either of you. It's over. You both know it."

"But-" He went from laughter to tears. "I know she doesn't love me. She never has."

Simone put her hand over his white knuckles of emotion. They hadn't even looked at their melting frosties.

"You can get over this. You can." Simone was serious.

"And, and you'll be here for me?"

She nodded. Yes, she'd missed him. But she never thought he'd ever noticed her. She'd always been there for him to talk, but things had changed. And there was no going back.