Chapter Six – The Jealousy
796 Words
Summer days had a way of blurring together—heat shimmering on the pavement, the hum of cicadas, Jake’s friends in and out of the house like a revolving door. But the day I met Ryan, everything snapped into sharper focus
A New Face
It happened at the smoothie shop downtown, where I’d been hanging out with my friend Kayla. We were halfway through sharing a giant mango slush when a guy walked up to our table.
He was tallish, with sandy blond hair and a grin that looked like it belonged in a commercial. He glanced at me, then at the empty chair across from us.
“Mind if I sit?”
Kayla smirked knowingly before I could answer. “Not at all.”
He slid into the seat, confidence radiating off him. “I’m Ryan. You’re Lila, right? We had bio together last semester.”
I blinked, surprised he even remembered. “Yeah. I remember.”
Ryan leaned forward. “You always answered the questions no one else could. Smart girls stand out, you know?”
My face heated. I wasn’t used to being noticed like that not for my brain, not for anything, really.
Ethan’s Entrance
Kayla excused herself for a refill, leaving me alone with Ryan. He asked about summer plans, about my art, actually listening like it mattered.
That’s when the bell above the shop door jingled. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was—I felt it, like a shift in the air.
Ethan.
He spotted me instantly, his brows lifting in surprise before narrowing at Ryan.
“Hey, Lila,” Ethan said, his voice casual but his eyes sharp. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”
I swallowed. “Yeah, um, Kayla and I were just—”
“Kayla?” Ryan interrupted, flashing his grin. “She’s getting a refill. I’m Ryan, by the way.” He extended a hand across the table.
Ethan didn’t take it. He just gave a curt nod. “Right.”
The air thickened. Ryan leaned back, unfazed, while Ethan crossed his arms, muscles tensing under his T-shirt.
The Tension
Kayla returned a moment later, clearly sensing the shift. “Oh, hey, Ethan,” she said, biting back a smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yeah,” Ethan said tightly. “Me neither.”
I shifted uncomfortably. Ryan, oblivious or maybe just bold, turned back to me. “So, Lila, you said you like drawing? You should show me sometime. Maybe we could hang out—”
“That’s funny,” Ethan cut in, his voice edged with something unfamiliar. “She already promised to show me first.”
I blinked. “ Did I?
Ethan’s jaw flexed. “Yeah. Last week. Remember?”
Ryan raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. “Well, guess I’ll have to wait my turn.” He grinned at me again. “Later, Lila.”
He grabbed his smoothie and left, leaving silence in his wake.
The Confrontation
Kayla muttered something about needing napkins and slipped away, leaving Ethan and me at the table.
“Seriously?” I whispered.
Ethan’s eyes were still on the door Ryan had walked through. “What?”
“You basically scared him off.”
“Good.” His gaze finally snapped at mine. “That guy doesn’t care about your art. He just wants” He stopped, pressing his lips together.
Heat flared in my chest. “And, do you? Care about my art, I mean?”
“Yes,” he said instantly, leaning closer. “I care about all of it. About you.”
The words hung between us, heavy and real.
Almost Again
For a second, it felt like the whole world shrank to just that table: the smell of mango, the hum of the smoothie machines, the way Ethan’s eyes burned into mine.
He looked like he wanted to say more. Like he wanted to close the distance, right there in the middle of the smoothie shop.
My heart raced. This was it. This was......
Kayla reappeared, clearing her throat loudly. “Sooo…should we head out?”
Ethan leaned back instantly, mask sliding back into place. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
The moment was gone, but the tension wasn’t. It clung to me all the way home.
Closing Beat – Realization
That night, I lay in bed replaying the scene. Ryan’s compliments had made me smile, but Ethan’s jealousy—raw and unguarded—had made my heart leap.
He cares, I wrote in my journal. Maybe more than he wants to admit. Maybe more than he can.
And for the first time, I wondered if “almost” was only a matter of time.
✨ End of Chapter Six ✨
- Writer
