WHAT WE LOST

Chapter Nine—What She Wanted Amara To See

Amara couldn’t stop thinking about Chloe’s last message.

She had deleted it, but deleting the message hadn’t deleted the question in her mind.

What had Ethan supposedly told Chloe?

And why had Chloe refused to explain?

Amara had promised herself that she wouldn’t let the situation affect her relationship with Ethan, but it was becoming harder every day.

Still, she trusted him.

That was what mattered.

The next morning, Ethan was waiting for her near the school entrance.

He smiled when he saw her and immediately started telling her about something funny that had happened before she arrived.

Amara laughed.

For a few minutes, everything felt normal again.

Then Ethan noticed she was quieter than usual.

He asked if she was okay.

Amara told him she was.

This time, Ethan didn’t argue.

He simply took her hand and walked with her toward class.

Amara smiled to herself.

Maybe she really had been worrying too much.

Maybe Chloe’s entire plan was simply to make her uncomfortable.

She wasn’t going to let it work.

But Chloe had already prepared her next move.

During lunch, Amara was sitting with her friends when she noticed Chloe walking toward the classroom.

Chloe wasn’t alone.

She was with Ethan.

Amara’s heart sank slightly.

They were talking about something, but Chloe looked unusually serious.

Ethan listened to her, then shook his head.

Chloe said something else.

Ethan looked irritated.

Then he walked away.

Amara watched the entire thing.

She wanted to know what they had been talking about.

Before she could get up, Chloe approached her.

She told Amara that she needed to speak with her.

Amara followed her a short distance away.

Chloe looked hesitant.

For once, she didn’t have her usual confident smile.

She told Amara that she didn’t want to cause problems between her and Ethan.

Amara asked what she wanted.

Chloe took a breath.

She said there was something Amara should know.

According to Chloe, Ethan had told her that he was worried about his relationship with Amara.

Amara’s heart started beating faster.

She asked what that meant.

Chloe said Ethan had been wondering whether their relationship would last because they were still young and had different plans for the future.

Amara stared at her.

She didn’t know what to believe.

Chloe continued.

She said Ethan hadn’t asked her to keep it secret, but she didn’t think Amara knew how uncertain he had been feeling.

Amara felt hurt.

Not because she believed Ethan had stopped loving her.

But because Chloe’s words made her wonder if Ethan had been hiding his worries from her.

Amara asked why Chloe was telling her.

Chloe said she thought Amara deserved to know.

Then she walked away.

Amara stood there alone.

She didn’t cry.

She didn’t confront Ethan.

She simply felt confused.

When Ethan came looking for her later, he found her sitting quietly outside the classroom.

He asked what happened.

Amara looked at him.

She wanted to ask him immediately.

Instead, she asked whether he had ever talked about their future with Chloe.

Ethan frowned.

He said no.

Amara asked if he had ever told Chloe that he wasn’t sure about their relationship.

Ethan looked genuinely shocked.

He told her that he would never say something like that to Chloe.

Amara believed the surprise on his face.

But she still didn’t understand why Chloe would lie.

Ethan sat beside her.

He asked what Chloe had said.

This time, Amara told him everything.

Ethan became quiet.

He finally understood what Chloe had been doing.

She wasn’t trying to make him fall for her anymore.

She was trying to make Amara doubt him.

Ethan told Amara that he hated the idea of her being hurt because of something Chloe had said.

He reminded her that if he ever had a problem with their relationship, he would tell her himself.

He wouldn’t discuss it secretly with another girl.

Amara looked at him.

She felt tears forming in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.

She told him she believed him.

And she did.

But there was still something bothering her.

She asked why Chloe was doing all of this.

Ethan didn’t have an answer.

Neither of them noticed Chloe standing at the end of the hallway.

She had been watching.

She expected to see Amara crying.

She expected to see Ethan and Amara arguing.

Instead, they were sitting together.

Again.

Chloe’s plan had failed.

But she wasn’t finished.

That afternoon, Ethan had to stay behind for the school event.

Amara decided to wait for him.

She sat outside with her friends until they eventually left.

As the sun began to lower, the school became quieter.

Amara checked her phone.

No message from Ethan.

She decided to find him.

As she walked toward the hall, she heard voices coming from inside.

One of them was Ethan’s.

The other was Chloe’s.

Amara stopped.

She didn’t mean to listen.

But then she heard Chloe mention her name.

Amara stood still.

Chloe was asking Ethan why he continued choosing Amara when she clearly didn’t trust him.

Ethan told her that Amara trusted him.

He said Chloe was the one creating problems.

Chloe became angry.

She told Ethan that Amara would eventually realize that he deserved someone who understood him better.

Ethan immediately told her to stop.

He said he wasn’t interested in her.

He loved Amara.

Amara covered her mouth.

She hadn’t expected to hear that.

She stayed where she was for another moment.

Ethan told Chloe that whatever feelings she had for him, he couldn’t return them.

He asked her to respect his relationship.

Chloe didn’t respond.

Amara quietly walked away before either of them noticed her.

She found a quiet place outside the building and sat down.

For the first time in days, she felt completely certain.

Chloe wasn’t confused.

She wasn’t simply being friendly.

She wanted Ethan.

And she had been trying to break the trust between them.

But Ethan had just proven exactly where he stood.

A few minutes later, Ethan found Amara.

He looked worried.

He asked why she had left without telling him.

Amara looked at him.

She didn’t tell him that she had heard everything.

Instead, she smiled.

She told him she had just needed some air.

Ethan sat beside her.

He looked at her for a moment before taking her hand.

Amara held it tightly.

She realized something that evening.

Chloe could send messages.

She could spread rumours.

She could take pictures.

She could say whatever she wanted.

But Chloe couldn’t change what Ethan felt.

And she couldn’t make Amara stop loving him.

Still, Amara knew the situation couldn’t continue forever.

Someone had to put an end to it.

The next morning, Amara made a decision.

She was going to speak to Chloe.

Not to fight.

Not to insult her.

Not to compete.

She simply wanted Chloe to understand that she wasn’t going to allow anyone to manipulate her relationship.

When Amara arrived at school, she found Chloe near the empty classroom.

Chloe looked at her and immediately seemed nervous.

Amara walked toward her.

She calmly told Chloe that she knew what she was doing.

Chloe denied it.

Amara didn’t argue.

She simply told her that Ethan had chosen her, and no amount of rumours would change that.

Chloe’s expression hardened.

She asked Amara if she really thought Ethan would always choose her.

Amara looked directly at her.

She said she didn’t know what the future would bring.

But she knew what Ethan had chosen right now.

And that was enough.

Chloe said nothing.

Amara turned and walked away.

For the first time, Chloe had nothing to say.

But as Amara walked down the hallway, she knew one thing.

The problem wasn’t over yet.

Tomorrow would be the day everything finally came to a head.

And this time, Chloe wasn’t planning to hide behind rumours.

She was ready to make one final move.