The Answer Between Us
682 Words
HIDDEN HEARTS
EPISODE 17: THE ANSWER BETWEEN US
The silence after Elena’s question didn’t feel normal.
It felt heavy.
Like the hallway itself was holding its breath.
Elena stood still, her heart beating so loudly she was sure Jayden could hear it too.
Who is the girl you meant?
She didn’t repeat it.
She didn’t need to.
The question was already hanging between them.
Jayden looked at her for a long moment.
Not smiling.
Not joking.
Just… serious.
For once, there was no distance in his eyes. No distraction. No confusion.
Only something Elena couldn’t read.
Finally, he spoke.
“I didn’t plan to say it like this,” he said quietly.
Elena didn’t move. “Then how did you plan to say it?”
A faint breath left him.
“I didn’t plan at all,” he admitted. “That’s the problem.”
---
Across the hallway, students passed by without noticing them.
The world kept moving.
But Elena felt stuck in one moment.
Jayden took a small step closer.
“I thought I could ignore it,” he continued. “Pretend it wasn’t there.”
Elena’s voice lowered. “Pretend what wasn’t there?”
He looked at her directly now.
And this time, there was no escape in his eyes.
“You,” he said.
The word landed softly.
But it hit hard.
Elena blinked. “Me?”
Jayden nodded slightly.
“I tried not to make it real,” he said. “Because it complicated everything.”
Elena’s breath caught. “Everything with Sophia?”
At the mention of her name, Jayden’s expression tightened slightly.
“It’s not what people think,” he said quickly.
Elena frowned. “Then what is it?”
A pause.
A real one this time.
Jayden exhaled slowly.
“Sophia knows about the Winter Dance situation,” he said. “That’s all.”
Elena stared at him. “That’s all?”
“Yes.”
Another silence.
Then Elena asked the question she was afraid of.
“Then why is she always around you?”
Jayden hesitated.
For the first time, he looked slightly frustrated.
“Because she wants answers too,” he said.
“That doesn’t explain anything,” Elena replied.
“I know,” he admitted.
---
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The hallway noise faded again.
Elena’s emotions felt tangled.
Confusion.
Relief.
Fear.
Hope.
All at once.
Then Jayden spoke again, softer.
“You asked me a question,” he reminded her.
Elena swallowed. “And you didn’t answer it.”
“I did,” he said gently.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then it hit her.
Not fully spoken.
But understood.
You.
---
Elena stepped back slightly.
“I don’t understand you,” she whispered.
Jayden gave a faint, almost tired smile. “You’re not supposed to. Not yet.”
That made her frown. “Not yet?”
He didn’t answer that.
Instead, he looked past her for a second.
As if thinking about something far away.
Then he said something unexpected.
“The Winter Dance… I still need to do it properly.”
Elena blinked. “Do what properly?”
Jayden looked back at her.
“I need to ask you myself,” he said.
Her heart stopped slightly.
“Ask me what?”
He took a small step closer again.
Close enough that his voice felt quieter. Personal.
“Whether you’ll go with me.”
Elena stared at him.
For a second, she forgot how to breathe.
Then—
From behind them, a voice cut in.
“Interesting timing.”
Both of them turned.
Sophia stood a few steps away.
Holding her books.
Smiling again.
But not warmly this time.
Something sharper.
Something knowing.
“I was wondering how long it would take,” she said lightly.
Elena’s stomach tightened.
Jayden didn’t move.
Sophia’s eyes shifted between them.
Then she tilted her head slightly.
“So,” she said softly. “Has she said yes yet?”
And suddenly…
the hallway didn’t feel quiet anymore.
It felt like a storm was about to start.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…
- Writer
