The drive was tense, the silence in the car was heavy as the thick fog that had settled outside. Elly's grip on the steering wheel tightened with every turn, eyes focused straight ahead, avoiding Jen's gaze as they both sat in uncomfortable silence.
Jen shifted in her seat beside Elly, arms crossed, clearly upset. Elly could feel the tension radiating off of Jen, but the frustration simmering inside had nowhere to go. Elly opened the mouth to speak, but Jen beat them to it.
"You didn't have to make it such a big deal," Jen said, her voice sharp. "It was just a meeting."
Elly's eyes flicked to Jen for just a second before turning back to the road, jaw clenched. "A meeting? Jen, he was all over you. You didn't see the way he was looking at you—how he kept touching you."
Jen's eyes widened with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Oh, come on, Elly. It wasn't like that. He's just being… friendly. You're overreacting."
"Friendly?" Elly's voice rose, betraying the agitation. "Friendly doesn't involve flirting with someone you work with. You're my responsibility, Jen. You don't think I noticed how he was practically hanging on every word you said?"
Jen's lips pressed into a thin line. "I can handle myself, you know. I don't need you to protect me, Elly."
The words stung, and Elly's chest tightened, but the bite of frustration stayed. "It's not about protecting you," Elly said through gritted teeth. "It's about respect. You think I don't care about how he makes you feel? How I feel?"
Jen took a moment, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her jacket before speaking again, quieter now. "I don't need you to worry about me like that. We're not… we're not like that, Elly."
Elly's heart skipped a beat, but quickly masked the hurt with more anger. "Like what? What do you mean, 'we're not like that'? You think I don't care, Jen? You think I can just sit back and watch him look at you like that and not feel something?"
Jen looked over at Elly sharply, eyes flashing with something unreadable. "I'm not asking you to feel anything. I never asked for you to get so worked up about it." Her voice was tight, defensive, but underneath, there was something else—something Elly couldn't quite place.
Elly took a deep breath, trying to calm the rush of emotions swirling inside. "I just… I don't like it, Jen," Elly muttered, voice softer now, almost vulnerable. "I don't like seeing him—" Elly cut the thought off, the words threatening to spill out before stopping. "Never mind."
Jen's gaze softened, though the tension still lingered in the air. "What were you going to say?" Jen asked quietly, voice softer now, as if the question was about more than just the manager, but about them, about this—whatever this was between them.
Elly took a sharp breath, heart pounding in the chest. It was too much to admit, not yet—not with everything still unresolved, still hanging between them. Instead, Elly shook the head, the words locked tight. "Nothing."
Jen's eyes flickered with something like frustration, but also something deeper, maybe understanding. She turned to face the window, staring out at the blurred scenery as they drove in silence for a few moments.
Finally, Elly couldn't take it anymore—slammed the car into park by the side of the road, the sound echoing in the quiet space between them.
Hands were trembling as Elly turned to face Jen, voice barely above a whisper, "I just… don't like the way he looks at you, Jen. I don't know what it means, or what I'm supposed to feel, but it drives me crazy. I don't want to see you—"
The words stopped, breath catching in the throat. Jen's gaze was intense now, searching Elly's face as if looking for something, something hidden just below the surface.
"Don't want to see me what?" Jen's voice was softer now, almost tentative.
"I don't want to see you with him," Elly admitted, voice shaking. "I don't want to see you with anyone else."
Jen's eyes widened, heart racing as she processed the words. The air between them was thick with unspoken tension, the weight of their emotions pressing down. Elly didn't say anything else, but in that moment, they could feel it—the truth—hovering just above their heads. But it was too much, too fast, too complicated, and neither of them had the courage to say it out loud just yet.
Jen was silent for a moment, lips parting as if unsure, but then, as if unable to resist any longer, she leaned in and kissed Elly. It was sudden, urgent, a kiss filled with everything they hadn't said—jealousy, longing, frustration, and something deeper that neither of them had been able to name until now.
Elly's eyes fluttered shut, kissing Jen back, heart pounding as melting into the kiss. They had no idea where it was leading, or if they were ready for what came next, but in that moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was the feeling of Jen's lips against Elly's, soft and sweet, a mix of confusion and desire that neither had been able to acknowledge until now.
When the kiss broke, faces flushed, the car was silent again—but this time, the air felt different. Charged, vulnerable, alive with possibilities not yet ready to speak about.
Elly's voice broke the silence, soft and unsure. "Jen... I don't know what this means. I don't know what we're doing."
Jen's breath caught in the throat, looking at Elly, heart still racing. "We don't need to figure it all out right now."
Elly nodded slowly, a mixture of relief and uncertainty on the face. The words still hadn't been said, the confession still unspoken, but for the first time, the truth between them was clear.
Maybe one day, they'd say it. Maybe they'd figure it out. But for now, this moment—the kiss, the emotions they couldn't deny—was enough.