You Won

My Apple Watch told me I won. I've never felt more like a loser.

His name was Ryan. Two years of competing over everything. Who got to the car first. Who finished the crossword. Who could hold a plank longer, which was always him, annoyingly. Then we started a seven-day Activity competition. Rings closed, points counted, loser buys dinner.

It started on a Monday. By Wednesday he'd gone cold. By Friday, he ended it in the car park of a Pret, said, "I don't think I can do this anymore." I nodded, walked home, and forgot the competition existed.

I didn't check my watch for a week. I couldn't look at it. It felt like wearing evidence.

Last night, 2 AM, I finally woke the screen. A little banner slid across.

"Competition complete. You won!"

I stared at it. Scrolled down. His final score: 62 points. Mine: 487.

He'd stopped on day three. He never closed another ring. Not one. Not a single step logged after the day he left.

So I'd technically won. By default. By being the only one who kept showing up.

I tapped "Send a message." The watch suggested a reply. "Good game!"

I laughed so hard it turned into something else.

Because that's what we were. A competition he quit halfway, and I kept running alone.

I won the only thing we were still doing together.

The prize was finishing without him.