Rivals to Forever

Present Day - Knight Industries Conference Room

Sophia was already on edge when she walked into the conference room the next morning, laptop in hand and caffeine running through her veins. She wasn't nervous because of Bobby.. absolutely not. It was the pitch. The contract. The sheer weight of what this Easton deal could mean for NovaTech. That's all.

At least that's what she told herself.

Bobby was already there, leaning back in his chair like he had all the time in the world. His tie was loose, sleeves rolled up, hair still slightly tousled—like he either didn't sleep or didn't care. Knowing him, probably both.

"Reyes," he said, nodding like they hadn't awkwardly almost danced themselves into a corner the night before.

"Knight," she replied, keeping her tone strictly professional.

They could do this. Work like adults. No personal baggage. Just spreadsheets and strategy.

Except, within the first ten minutes, it was clear they were right back where they started.

"We open with the tech," Bobby said, dragging a marker across the whiteboard. "Show them the innovation first. Then make them hungry for the product."

"No," Sophia countered. "We open with the impact how the system solves their biggest problems. They need to see the human value before the technical specs."

Bobby's jaw ticked. "This isn't a non-profit fundraiser. It's a corporate pitch."

"And if they wanted a soulless sales deck, they'd hire your father."

He stepped back, marker still in hand, eyes narrowing. "You always go for the throat, don't you?"

"Only when you make it easy."

It was so familiar this sharp edged push and pull. They thrived in battle, always had. And the longer it went on, the more Sophia felt a memory tugging at the edges of her mind, something too similar to ignore.

Flashback - NYU, Sophomore Year

"Absolutely not."

Sophia stood in the cramped study room, arms crossed, glaring at Bobby. He was sprawled in a chair, feet up on the table like it was his living room, flipping lazily through her carefully organized notes.

"It's a solid plan," she said, voice tight. "We stick to data and proven case studies."

"It's boring," Bobby countered, tossing her folder back onto the table. "We need flash. Boldness. Something that makes Reynolds remember us."

Sophia pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's a corporate presentation, not a Vegas show."

Bobby grinned. "Why can't it be both?"

They had been forced to partner after Professor Reynolds assigned random pairs for the semester project worth 30% of their final grade. It was a nightmare pairing two top students, both used to running the show, both incapable of compromise.

Sophia worked like a machine research, outlines, meticulous bullet points.

Bobby worked like a gambler with big ideas, risky moves, all instinct.

They fought through the entire process fonts, colors, even what to name the fake startup they were pitching.

"Flash doesn't make something valuable," Sophia argued.

"Data doesn't make something memorable," Bobby shot back.

It should have been a disaster. Instead, somehow, they made magic.

Sophia's research grounded Bobby's flair. Bobby's charisma elevated Sophia's substance. Their presentation part hard data, part bold storytelling blew the other teams out of the water.

They won.

But they didn't celebrate. They fought again over who deserved more credit, over who saved the project from failure.

"I carried this," Sophia had snapped.

"You suffocated it," Bobby had shot back. "I gave it life."

The argument ended with Sophia storming out and Bobby leaning back in his chair, looking weirdly disappointed.

Neither of them admitted that, just for a second, they made a damn good team.

Present Day

"Déjà vu," Sophia muttered, staring at the whiteboard, where their two competing ideas sat side by side, refusing to blend.

"What?" Bobby asked.

"This." She gestured between them. "It's that project all over again."

Bobby blinked then grinned. "You mean the one we crushed?"

"After almost killing each other."

"Details." He shrugged. "You can't deny it worked."

Sophia hated that he was right. Their work styles were disasters on their own—but together? They created something neither could do alone.

"We need to stop thinking of this as your half and my half," Sophia said finally. "It has to be our pitch."

Bobby's grin faded. "You're serious."

"Terrifying, right?"

He nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's build it from scratch."

Sophia's stomach did a weird little flip. Agreement wasn't their usual language. It felt… unsettling. Good, but unsettling.

Somewhere Else in Midtown - Priya's Second Coffee Accident

Priya wasn't proud of the fact that she was running late to her own client call because she couldn't stop thinking about Drew Gallo's stupid face. Last night had been fun too fun. And she hated how easily they fell back into old rhythms.

So when she rounded the corner into the exact same coffee shop from the day before, the last person she wanted to see was Drew.

Naturally, there he was.

He was leaning against the counter, charming the barista out of extra espresso shots, like some trust fund pirate. His hair was annoyingly perfect. His smile? Even worse.

Priya debated fleeing but Drew spotted her instantly.

"Well, well." He grinned. "We've gotta stop meeting like this."

Priya groaned. "Manhattan has over a million people. Why is it always you?"

"Fate." Drew stepped aside, leaving room for her to order. "Or maybe you're stalking me."

She snorted. "Please. If I were stalking you, I'd pick better hiding spots."

Drew laughed. And it wasn't his usual cocky laugh—it was genuine. It made Priya's stomach do a thing.

"Listen," Drew said, suddenly serious. "About last night—"

"Nope." Priya held up a hand. "We're not having a moment."

"Why not?"

"Because I already have one dysfunctional corporate romance to manage," she said, gesturing to her phone where Sophia's texts were lighting up. "I do not need my own."

Drew leaned in. "Who said it would be dysfunctional?"

Priya's pulse jumped.

"See you around, Drew." She grabbed her coffee and fled.

Drew watched her go, grin firmly in place—but there was something else in his eyes now.

Something that said:

This isn't over.

Back at Knight Industries

Bobby and Sophia had finally found their rhythm, drafting a pitch that blended storytelling and tech perfectly. It was so seamless, so surprisingly good, that they both sat back, almost impressed with each other.

"We might actually pull this off," Bobby said.

"Some how," Sophia agreed.

And then his phone buzzed.

Drew: Just ran into Priya. Again. Either we're cursed or I'm in love.

Bobby groaned. Sophia raised a brow. "Do I even want to ask?"

"Drew's developing… a situation."

Sophia snorted. "Better him than me."

Bobby's gaze flicked to her, just for a second too long. "Yeah. Sure."

Because the truth was—they both had a situation. They just weren't ready to admit it.