Ella let out a sigh as she slumped back into the chair, her eyes glued to the textbook in front of her. Pharmacology. Again. She'd been trying to focus on the complex pathways of drug metabolism, but her mind kept drifting. It was Leo. Or, more specifically, it was Leo and Chloe.
She couldn't help it. Every time Chloe appeared, especially when she was around Leo, something in her tightened. She told herself it was ridiculous—Chloe was just being friendly, nothing more. Leo was still Leo—her Leo, or at least, that's what she had allowed herself to believe. But lately, the distance between them had grown, and it wasn't just because of school.
It was Chloe.
"Ella? You okay?" Jake voice broke her thoughts, pulling her back to reality.
Ella blinked and glanced at her friend. "Yeah, just... you know. A bit overwhelmed."
Jake didn't look convinced. "You've been off lately. What's really going on?"
Ella shrugged. "It's just this project. I don't know, I guess it's just stressing me out."
"You sure it's not something—or someone—else?" Jake asked, his eyes narrowing playfully.
Ella hesitated, a flash of uncertainty crossing her face. She'd never been good at hiding how she felt, especially when it came to Leo.
"Maybe," she muttered, barely audible.
sarah leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Ella, you've got to stop letting this Chloe situation get to you. Leo's not going to bite her head off just because she's laughing at a joke or studying with him."
Ella's fingers curled around the edge of her coffee cup, the heat almost too much to bear. "It's not just that. It's... the way she looks at him. Like she's already claimed him. And I don't know if I can compete with that."
sarah raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Ella, you're overthinking. Leo's not interested in her like that. Trust me."
Ella gave a half-hearted smile but didn't respond. How could she explain the constant tightness in her chest when she saw them together? How could she admit that the thought of Chloe and Leo laughing and studying together made her feel like she was invisible?
---
Later that evening, she sat outside the student café, trying to shake off the uncomfortable weight in her stomach. The campus was quieter now, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
It was a message from Leo.
Hey, are you still free for that study session?
Ella stared at the text for a moment. She liked Leo. She really did. But why did he always text her when he was also wrapped up in whatever project with Chloe? Was she just the second choice, the backup?
With a resigned sigh, she typed back.
Yeah, I'll meet you in a bit.
When she arrived at the café, she found Leo already seated at their usual table, his laptop open in front of him. He looked up as she approached, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Hey," he said, his voice casual. "How's it going?"
"Fine, I guess," Ella replied, her tone betraying her unease. She slid into the chair opposite him, trying not to let her thoughts wander.
They started working, the silence between them comfortable, yet distant. Ella couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted—something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Leo's focus was half on his screen, half on his phone, which buzzed every few minutes. Chloe. Ella didn't have to guess.
"So, are you and Chloe still working on that assignment together?" Ella asked, trying to keep her voice light.
Leo glanced up, slightly taken aback. "Yeah, why?"
Ella shrugged, pretending she wasn't paying too much attention. "I just noticed you two have been spending a lot of time together. Seems like you're both really close."
Leo seemed to pause, his fingers frozen on the keyboard for a moment. "We're just studying, Ella. It's nothing."
Ella's heart sank. It's nothing. Those words seemed so dismissive, so simple. She wasn't asking for anything more, but she didn't know how much longer she could keep pretending that everything was fine.
"Right," she said, forcing a smile. "Just schoolwork."
But the tension between them felt palpable now, hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. Leo's eyes flicked to his phone again, the sound of a new message pinging in the quiet café. Ella clenched her jaw, her frustration building, but she wasn't about to make a scene. Not here. Not now.
"Ella, I'm not... I mean, you know I care about you, right?" Leo's voice was softer now, as though he could sense the shift in the air.
Ella stared at him, feeling the words she wanted to say freeze in her throat. Care about her? Did he? How could she know when he was still so focused on Chloe?
"I'm not here to compete with her, Leo," Ella said quietly, the vulnerability she'd been holding back surfacing at last. "I don't know what this is, but it doesn't feel like... like you're actually here with me. And I hate it."
Leo blinked, looking caught off guard. "Ella, what are you talking about? This is about school. You're... you're reading too much into it."
But Ella could hear the crack in his voice. She had pushed him, and now the words she feared came tumbling out.
"No. I'm not overthinking. You've been pulling away from me. It feels like I'm just your second choice when Chloe's not around."
Leo's face changed, his lips pressing into a thin line. "That's not fair, Ella. You know that's not true."
But before Ella could respond, her phone buzzed again. This time it was her mum. She quickly glanced at it before picking up.
"Hey, Mum."
"Ella, darling, how's everything going? You've been quiet lately. Everything alright?"
Ella's throat tightened, the lump from earlier threatening to choke her. She glanced at Leo, who was now looking at her with a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"Yeah, everything's fine," she said, her voice tight. "Just... busy."
"Well, don't forget to take a break," her mum said, as always. "You sound a bit run down. And your dad's asking when you'll be home next. Ellie misses you too, you know."
Ella couldn't hold it in any longer. The weight of the conversation with Leo, her growing feelings of inadequacy, and the endless pressure of schoolwork were all too much. She squeezed her eyes shut.
"I'll be okay, Mum," Ella whispered.
Her mum's voice softened. "I know you will. Just remember, we're all here for you. Don't lose yourself in all this, sweetheart."
Ella nodded, wiping away a tear before anyone could notice. When she hung up, she looked at Leo, who was still sitting there, a distance between them now more than just physical.
"Ella..." Leo started, but she cut him off.
"I think I need some space," she said quietly, standing up from the table.
Leo didn't argue, but the hurt in his eyes was impossible to ignore. Ella left the café, the weight in her chest growing with each step.
She needed answers. And maybe, just maybe, she needed to stop pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn't.