Ava sat at her desk, the dull hum of her phone ringing in her ears as she stared at the text from Chloe. It was the third one in a row, and each one more desperate than the last.
"Did you hear about the rumor?"
"Ava, please, call me!"
"I can't believe this is happening. You need to know the truth!"
Ava had heard the whispering in the hallways that morning, the way the air had shifted the second she walked into school. But she hadn't wanted to believe it. Chloe had warned her that Ethan was dangerous, that he had a reputation with girls, that he'd broken hearts without a second thought. But Ava had dismissed it, too absorbed in their art project and the budding connection they were building. Now, it felt like she was caught in a trap of rumors and half-truths.
The lunch bell rang, pulling Ava from her thoughts. She hesitated before shoving her phone into her bag, not wanting to deal with it just yet. She needed to face Ethan first, to figure out if the rumors about him were true. Her stomach twisted with unease as she picked up her tray from the lunch line and scanned the cafeteria for him.
Her eyes landed on Ethan at his usual table in the back corner, surrounded by a few of his soccer teammates. She took a deep breath, willing herself to walk over, to confront him. But as she approached, she caught sight of something that made her stop dead in her tracks.
He was laughing—no, flirting, with some girl Ava didn't recognize. She was pretty in the way all the popular girls were, with long, straight blonde hair and a figure that seemed designed for attention. She leaned in close to Ethan, her hand brushing against his arm, and the way they laughed together—so easy, so familiar—made Ava's heart twist painfully in her chest.
Without thinking, Ava turned on her heel, her stomach churning with a mix of anger and jealousy. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but it did. Maybe it was the way she'd convinced herself that this—whatever it was between them—was something more than just a passing fling. Maybe it was the way she'd let herself believe that Ethan, for all his reputation and popularity, actually saw her as more than just a quiet girl with a talent for drawing.
Her phone buzzed again in her pocket, but she ignored it. She needed air. She needed space to think. She bolted out the back door of the cafeteria and into the courtyard, the cool breeze hitting her face as she made her way to the bench at the edge of the school grounds. The buzz of her phone grew louder, more insistent, but she couldn't bring herself to answer it. Not yet.
"Ava."
She jumped at the sound of Ethan's voice, her heart skipping a beat. He was standing in front of her, his expression unreadable, and for a moment, the world felt like it stopped spinning.
"What's going on?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "You just ran off like I—like I did something wrong."
Ava crossed her arms, looking away from him, not wanting him to see the hurt in her eyes. "I saw you with her," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "The girl at your table. You were flirting with her."
Ethan blinked, the confusion on his face clear. "Flirting?" He laughed, but it wasn't in a mocking way. It was a nervous chuckle. "Ava, that's just Jenna. She's in my physics class. We were just talking."
"Talking?" Ava repeated, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You looked pretty close for 'just talking.'"
Ethan's expression softened, but there was an edge of frustration in his voice when he spoke again. "Look, I'm sorry if that looked bad, but you're blowing this way out of proportion."
Ava shook her head, the emotions inside her swirling faster now, the hurt, the confusion, the frustration. "You don't get it, Ethan. I..." She stopped herself, feeling the sting of vulnerability in her voice. "I thought you were different. I thought... I thought this was something real."
For a long moment, Ethan didn't speak, and the silence between them grew heavy. Ava's heart raced as she waited for him to say something, anything that would make this better. But instead, he took a step closer, closing the space between them.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice low but sincere. "I didn't know that seeing me with Jenna would make you feel this way. It's just... we've known each other for years. We're friends. But I'm not... I'm not interested in her like that. I'm interested in you."
Ava felt the heat rush to her cheeks, a mix of disbelief and hope flooding her chest. "But you... you didn't say anything. You didn't tell me that."
"I didn't think I needed to," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't realize how much you meant to me until recently. But I didn't want to pressure you into anything. I'm sorry. I've messed up, haven't I?"
Ava stared at him, unsure of how to respond. She'd spent so long convincing herself that Ethan was out of her league, that there was no way someone like him could be genuinely interested in her. But here he was, standing in front of her, looking as conflicted as she felt.
"So, you really don't like her?" Ava asked, her voice quieter now. "Jenna, I mean?"
Ethan smiled, a little sheepish. "No, I don't. Not like that, anyway. Honestly, she's a good friend, but... you're the one I've been thinking about."
Ava's heart fluttered at his words, but the doubts still lingered, gnawing at her. "Then why didn't you say anything before? Why did it take me getting upset for you to explain?"
Ethan sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "Because I was scared," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't want to ruin our friendship. I didn't want to scare you off. And honestly, I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way."
Ava's chest tightened at the vulnerability in his voice, the raw honesty that she hadn't expected. This wasn't the confident, popular guy she'd seen in the halls; this was a real person, just as scared as she was.
"You don't have to be scared," she said, her voice steadier now. "I like you, too, Ethan. I just... I didn't know where we stood."
Ethan's expression softened, his lips curling into a small but genuine smile. "Well, I think we're standing in the same place now," he said, stepping closer and reaching out for her hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Ava. I promise."
Ava took his hand, feeling the warmth of his touch spread through her. For the first time that day, everything felt... right. The tension in her chest began to ease, replaced by something lighter, something more hopeful.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her fingers tightening around his. "I should have trusted you."
"No," Ethan said quickly. "It's my fault, too. I should have been clearer with you."
Ava smiled faintly, glancing up at him. "We're both a little confused, huh?"
"Yeah," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "But I think we're figuring it out."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Ava let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She wasn't sure what the future would bring, but in that moment, standing outside in the quiet of the courtyard with Ethan by her side, everything felt like it might just be okay.
"Okay," she said softly. "Let's figure this out."
Ethan's smile widened, and for the first time since they'd started this crazy, unexpected journey together, Ava felt a sense of peace. They were going to make it through this. Together.