Love Triangle

Chapter 3 - Into the Woods

Ashgroove High buzzed with excitement that morning. Students gathered in the courtyard, backpacks slung over their shoulders, ready for the school’s annual outdoor project. This year, they were heading to Redpine Woods, a place known for its tall trees, quiet paths, and more than a few ghost stories. For most students, it was a chance to escape school and spend a day outside. For Damon West, it felt like a trap.

As the buses pulled up, Eliza clung to Damon’s arm. Her long curls bounced as she spoke excitedly about the adventure ahead. Damon smiled, but his eyes kept drifting toward another group of students. Jace Rivers stood apart from the crowd, his backpack hanging low on one shoulder, a sketchpad in hand. He looked up once and caught Damon’s gaze. For a brief second, the air between them felt charged.

Mrs. Hunt, the history teacher, clapped her hands for attention. “Alright, everyone. Once we arrive, you’ll pair up for your nature and history reports. The woods have plenty of hidden stories, so take notes, take photos, and be respectful.”

The ride to Redpine Woods was loud and full of laughter. Eliza leaned against Damon, her fingers brushing his wrist. Damon stayed quiet. When the bus hit a bump and Eliza laughed, he forced a chuckle. Across the aisle, Jace stared out the window.

Once they arrived, the teachers handed out maps and group assignments. As Mrs. Hunt read out the pairs, Damon held his breath. “Damon West and... Jace Rivers.”

The world went silent for a second.

“What?” Eliza blurted. “That has to be a mistake.”

Mrs. Hunt looked over her glasses. “No mistake, Eliza. You’re with Kara.”

Eliza’s jaw tightened. Damon walked slowly toward Jace, who was already flipping through his sketchpad, avoiding everyone’s eyes.

“Guess we’re stuck together,” Damon said.

Jace shrugged. “Fine with me.”

They started down the forest trail, silence thick between them. Birds chirped, and the sun filtered through the branches. Damon glanced sideways, trying to find the right words. But Jace spoke first.

“So, why’d you freeze up when she called my name?”

Damon blinked. “What?”

Jace smirked. “You looked like you saw a ghost.”

“I was just surprised.”

“Right.”

The two walked on, the tension slowly easing. Jace started pointing out different trees and fungi. Damon found himself laughing more than he expected. Jace’s sarcasm and random knowledge were oddly charming. At one point, Jace stopped to sketch a moss-covered rock, his focus so deep it pulled Damon in.

Back at the clearing, Eliza paced near the picnic site. Her eyes locked on Damon and Jace every time they laughed. Kara tried to distract her, but Eliza wasn’t listening. She felt the shift, the slipping grip she had on Damon. And it made her stomach turn.

Later, while searching for a supposed historical marker, Damon and Jace veered off the trail. The woods grew quiet. Jace looked up at the trees.

“You ever feel like these woods are... watching?” he asked.

Damon frowned. “Not until now.”

They found the marker, a broken wooden sign near a circle of stones. As Jace stepped closer, the wind picked up.

“I don’t like this place,” Damon muttered.

Jace turned. “Neither do I. Let’s head back.”

As they walked away, something rustled in the bushes behind them. Damon grabbed Jace’s arm. “Did you hear that?”

Jace nodded. “Don’t look back. Just walk.”

When they got back to the main site, both were pale. Eliza saw the way Damon’s hand brushed Jace’s as they sat down. Something inside her snapped.

That night, Damon lay in bed, thinking about the way Jace smiled. The way the woods felt. The way Eliza stared at him. Something was changing, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready.

And deep in Redpine Woods, something else had been watching.

Something that now knew their names.

The sun began to dip beneath the canopy of trees, painting everything in golden hues. As students packed up their gear, the teachers called for everyone to gather near the buses.

Eliza stood at a distance, watching Damon and Jace. She saw it the way Damon leaned in when Jace spoke, the way their steps matched naturally like they'd been walking together for years. It was different. It was dangerous. And it was stealing what was hers.

Kara whispered beside her, “You okay?”

Eliza forced a smile. “Yeah. Just tired.”

But she wasn’t tired. She was furious.

The bus ride back, Jace sat by the window. Damon slipped into the seat beside him, ignoring the empty spot Eliza had saved for him.

"You didn’t have to sit here," Jace said quietly.

“I wanted to,” Damon replied, voice low.

There was a long pause.

“I know Eliza’s mad,” Jace said without turning.

“She’ll be fine.”

“She’s not stupid, Damon.”

“I know.”

The silence between them was heavy, but not empty. Something was growing, something they both felt but hadn’t named yet.

That night, Ashgrove High buzzed with stories of the woods. Someone claimed they saw a shadow figure behind the trees. Another swore they heard whispers that didn’t belong to anyone.

But Damon had only one thing on his mind. Jace.

He thought about the brush of their hands, the way Jace smiled without trying, and the strange connection pulling them closer. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way. Not with Eliza. Not with Jace. But he couldn’t stop.

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, when a message pinged on his phone.

Jace: Couldn’t sleep either?

Damon hesitated, then replied:

Damon: No. Thinking too much.

Another message came

seconds later.

Jace: Me too. About you.

Damon’s heart raced.

He didn’t reply.

But he didn’t sleep either.