Forbidden Tiles

A New Complication

As Donald and Jennifer pulled away from their kiss, they both felt a sense of excitement and anticipation. They exchanged numbers, and Donald walked Jennifer to her dorm room door. "I'll call you tomorrow?" he asked, his eyes hopeful. Jennifer smiled, nodding. "I'd like that," she replied.

The next day, Donald called Jennifer, and they made plans to meet up for lunch. As they sat down at a busy café, Donald noticed a familiar face across the room. It was Rachel, his ex-girlfriend from high school. They had a tumultuous relationship, and Donald had thought they'd both moved on. But as he caught Rachel's eye, he saw a flash of anger and hurt.

Rachel stormed over to their table, her eyes blazing. "Donald, we need to talk," she said, her voice low and urgent. Donald hesitated, unsure of what to do. Jennifer looked at him curiously, sensing something was wrong.

"Who's this?" Jennifer asked, her voice neutral. Rachel's eyes narrowed. "I'm Rachel, Donald's ex-girlfriend," she replied, her voice dripping with venom. Jennifer's eyes widened, and she looked at Donald, who seemed uncomfortable.

"Rachel, now's not a good time," Donald said, trying to placate her. But Rachel was undeterred. "We need to talk about what happened between us," she said, her voice rising. "You can't just ignore me, Donald."

Jennifer stood up, her eyes flashing with anger. "I think Donald's made it clear he's not interested in talking," she said, her voice firm. Rachel's eyes narrowed, and she turned on Jennifer. "And who are you to tell him what to do?" she spat.

The café patrons began to stare, and Donald felt embarrassed. "Rachel, stop," he said, his voice firm. "This isn't the place."

Rachel's face reddened, and she took a step closer to Donald. "You're just going to replace me with her?" she asked, her voice venomous. "Someone who's probably just going to hurt you like I did?"

Donald's eyes widened, and he felt a surge of anger. "Rachel, that's not fair," he said, his voice rising. Jennifer placed a calming hand on his arm, and he took a deep breath.

"I think we've gotten the message, Rachel," Jennifer said, her voice calm. "Donald doesn't want to talk to you right now."

Rachel's eyes flashed with anger, but she seemed to realize she was getting nowhere. She turned and stormed off, leaving Donald and Jennifer in an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry about that," Donald said, his eyes apologetic. Jennifer nodded, her expression softening. "It's okay," she said. "But maybe we should talk about what's going on?"

Donald hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But as he looked into Jennifer's concerned eyes, he knew he had to be honest. "Rachel and I had a rough breakup," he said. "I thought we'd both moved on, but I guess she's still got feelings."

Jennifer's eyes widened, and she nodded. "I see," she said. "Well, I'm not going anywhere."

Donald's heart swelled with emotion, and he reached out to take Jennifer's hand. "I'm glad," he said, his voice sincere.

As they sat there, hands entwined, Donald knew that he had to navigate this complicated situation carefully. He didn't want to lose Jennifer, but he also didn't want to hurt Rachel further.