The halls buzzed with the usual chatter as students moved between classes, lockers clanging and footsteps echoing down the hallways. Gianna was on her way to meet Adrian at their usual spot near the library when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Turning, she found herself face-to-face with Ethan.
"Hey, stranger," he said, giving her a grin that felt a little too eager. His gaze flickered behind her as if he expected to find someone else standing there.
"Hey, Ethan," Gianna replied, caught off guard. She hadn't seen much of him lately, and the timing of his sudden reappearance was… strange, to say the least.
"So," Ethan continued, his voice overly casual, "haven't seen you around much. You've been busy?"
"Yeah, I guess," Gianna replied, keeping her tone light. "Just a lot going on with school and work."
"Oh, right, the café," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I heard you've been hanging out with some new guy there. That… Adrian, right?"
Gianna blinked, surprised by the slight edge in his voice. She shrugged, hoping to downplay it. "Yeah, he stops by sometimes. It's nothing serious—just a friend."
Ethan gave a chuckle, but it lacked its usual warmth. "A friend? You two seem pretty close for 'just friends,' G."
She frowned, suddenly feeling a little defensive. "I don't know what you're getting at, Ethan. It's just… casual. Besides, it's nice to have someone new to talk to."
Ethan's face softened, but there was something almost pleading in his gaze. "I just feel like we haven't spent time together in ages. How about we change that? Dinner tonight? My treat."
Caught off guard, Gianna hesitated. She couldn't shake the feeling that his sudden interest had something to do with Adrian. But Ethan was her boyfriend, and she hadn't planned on pushing him away, not really. "Sure," she said after a pause. "Dinner sounds nice."
His face lit up, and he grinned. "Great! I'll pick you up around seven?"
"Sounds good," she replied, giving him a small smile, though she couldn't ignore the twist of unease in her stomach.
That afternoon, she filled Mia in during lunch, her friend eyeing her thoughtfully over her sandwich. "So let me get this straight—Ethan's suddenly Mr. Attentive now that Adrian's around?"
Gianna sighed. "Pretty much. It's weird, Mia. He hasn't been this clingy in… I don't even know how long."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Classic. Guy senses another guy in the picture, and suddenly he cares. Typical."
"I don't know. I mean, Ethan and I have been together for a while. Maybe he just realized we've been distant."
Mia gave her a skeptical look. "Or maybe he's worried you'll realize you have options. Look, just… don't let him guilt you into anything. If you like Adrian, you're allowed to spend time with him."
Gianna opened her mouth to respond but stopped short when she saw Adrian approaching their table. He gave them both a nod and took a seat beside her, his usual quiet confidence radiating from him.
"Hey," he said, glancing between her and Mia. "What are we talking about?"
"Oh, nothing much," Mia replied, giving Gianna a sly look. "Just the usual guy drama."
Gianna felt her cheeks warm, and she shot Mia a warning look before turning to Adrian. "Ethan asked me to dinner tonight. We haven't hung out in a while, so…"
Adrian's face remained neutral, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something unreadable. "Sounds fun," he said, his voice carefully casual. "Hope you have a good time."
"Yeah, thanks," Gianna replied, feeling a strange tension settle over the table.
Mia, ever the observer, smirked to herself and promptly changed the subject, launching into a funny story about a classmate's disastrous presentation. They laughed and chatted, but beneath the easy banter, Gianna couldn't shake the feeling of being caught between two worlds—one with Ethan, familiar yet strained, and one with Adrian, unpredictable and intriguing.
That evening, as she got ready for dinner, her mind drifted back to Adrian. She hadn't realized just how much she enjoyed spending time with him until now. But as she glanced at her phone, a message from Ethan flashing on the screen, she reminded herself of her commitment to him. She owed it to herself to see where things stood with Ethan, even if her heart felt inexplicably pulled in two directions.
This is going to be… complicated, she thought, slipping her phone back into her pocket.
For now, she'd focus on making things right with Ethan, even if a part of her already felt the walls closing in