That Friday night started like any other, with the two of us stumbling back from a party, the alcohol warm in our veins. Jake and I had always been on equal footing—same height, same build. I’d even wondered once, fleetingly, who’d win if we ever went at it. It wasn’t like Jake intimidated me. In fact, I figured I had the edge. Maybe because I trained harder, or just because I liked to think I wouldn’t back down. But that...

The next few days felt like they belonged to someone else’s life. After what happened between Jake and me in the dorm room, I expected things to change. But Jake didn’t acknowledge it at all. He acted like nothing had happened, as if we hadn’t crossed that line, like he hadn’t taken control of me in the most intimate way. It was surreal—he moved on as if nothing about our friendship had shifted. We fell back into our usua...