Met two girls on campus. I was hitting on one of them. We flirted, sexted a bit early on, and hung out a few times in a small group with her, the same friend, and another guy.

At first, it felt casual. But over time, I realized I wasn’t into her like that. No spark, so I started friendzoning her.

Then I started noticing her friend more. We had a better connection, she was smarter, and the vibe just hit different. Since the new semester started, I’ve been very flirty with her, and I think she’s been feeling it. I know she loves my company at least.

Here’s the twist:

She recently ended a two-year relationship. From what I know, the guy wasn’t great to her. After they broke up since early December, he came back promising to change. She gave him another shot—probably out of loneliness—and they kept seeing each other until he left for a training program out of state a little over a month ago. He’s supposed to be gone for another few months. Not sure if they’re still in contact, but it’s likely minimal.

Now here’s my situation:

• The first girl still seems into me and probably notices the shift. • I sense some jealousy or feeling left out, but I keep it respectful—we’re still friends. • We never hooked up, so I don’t feel like I owe her anything. • The two girls are close friends.

I genuinely like the second girl now and want to ask her out. I just want to do it the right way and make sure I’m not overstepping any boundaries.

How do I move clean here?