"Let's go in please" Carl said, almost impatently.
I was scared to go in because why in the world am I supposed to go back into that den of wolves. I hate the way they stared at me.
I also didn't want to see Jake, I didn't like the way he looked at me and I couldn't tell if it was because of what I did to his sister, Anne or what I said about being Carl's girlfriend.
"I don't want to" I responded.
"Please Sidney, let's clear the air because if we leave like this, that conversation would linger for a very long time"
I watched him as he was eager to go and clear the air, so I just succumb. I didn't want to be the bitch in his life.
Also I agreed to go in because he said he had something to tell me. Inside, the men were still lingering, their curiosity barely contained. Jake, especially, was restless—his eyes locked on me with a mixture of confusion and irritation.
"Cal's girlfriend?" Jake asked, his voice tight, his tone practically cutting through the room.
The colonel gave me a sideways glance. "Isn't that what you said, beautiful?"
I felt my stomach turn. The room suddenly felt smaller, hotter. Every eye was on me—even Carl's. My words caught in my throat, but I forced something out.
"I didn't mean it in that way," I stammered.
Jake stepped forward, clearly not letting it go. "Then tell us how you meant it."
Why did he sound so mad? Why did he even care? Wasn't this just a misunderstanding? Why is he acting like he is humiliated by what I said, I didn't say I was his girlfriend. Or did he hate me for claiming to be his friend's girlfriend even after almost killing his sister?
Carl, thankfully, broke the tension. "Sir," he addressed the colonel. "Can we please be excused?"
With a reluctant grunt, the men exited the room, leaving only the three of us. Jake was still stiff, still burning with whatever it was he felt. I looked between them, my nerves like wires snapping beneath my skin.
"Uhm, Sidney" Carl turned to me, then glanced at Jake. "Jake had asked me to speak to you on his behalf," he said, tone steady but quiet. "He umm, likes you and would like you to be his lover..." Carl said almost regretfully "He didn't know how to approach you himself. Said he—he truly cares about you."
I was shocked at the same time not shocked because,
What?
Am I dreaming or something? Jake literally ignored my whole existence all the while I crushed on him, so what's this conversation all about?
I blinked rapidly, searching Carl's face for the punchline. But he was serious. Jake stepped closer, his eyes finally softening.
"He's right," Jake added. "I did ask him to help me. I've had feelings for you for a while, Sidney. That's why I visited Anne so often. It wasn't for her. It was for you."
The world tilted.
Jake—Jake had liked me?
"You never spoke to me," I muttered. "You ignored me like I actually didn't exist, I didn't even know if you remembered my name each time you come around"
"Because I was scared," he admitted. "You always seemed so focused, so out of reach. I didn't think I had a chance. That's why I asked Carl to help me. But now… I don't want him to do that. I want to do it myself. Sidney, I want to be your man."
A silence fell.
It should have been romantic. A dream come true. The man I had crushed on for two years, finally laying his feelings bare. But all I felt was a strange hollowness. A shift in the atmosphere. Because in that moment, all I could think about was Carl. I didn't want Jake anymore. I just wanted Carl. Why don't I always get what I want? Why am I always so unlucky? Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why did Carl make me fall for him knowing fully well he was there to help his friend win my heart. What happened to the moments?
The kiss. His smile. The way he held my hand at the hospital. The way he made me feel seen.
My head turned toward him, needing something—anything—to explain what that kiss had meant.
"I'm sorry about this, I am just confused. And very startled." I turned to Carl who wouldn't look me in the eyes, "Carl," I began. "Why did you…?"
"I'm sorry," he said, cutting me off. "I didn't mean to make things more complicated for you."
Complicated?
That kiss had unraveled me.
I looked between them—Jake with his nervous, pleading eyes, and Carl, who now seemed suddenly withdrawn, his expression unreadable.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked Jake.
"Because I didn't think I was good enough for you," he said quietly. "And maybe I still don't. But I couldn't keep it to myself any longer."
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to go back to those days of scrolling through his photos and fantasizing about what it would be like to be noticed by him.
But something had changed.
And that something was standing right beside him.
I turned toward Carl again. "And you? Was it just a kiss, or was it something else?"
His jaw flexed. "It was more."
That word hung in the air, heavy and charged.
Jake stiffened.
"You kissed her?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.
Carl didn't flinch. "Yes."
"So much for helping me," Jake muttered.
"I didn't plan on it," Carl said. "But it happened. And I don't regret it."
I took a step back, overwhelmed.
"I need time," I said. "I can't do this right now."
They both nodded, but the tension in the room could have sparked fire.
Jake looked hurt. Cal looked conflicted.
And me?
I felt like I was standing in the eye of a storm.
But one thing was clear—the game had changed.
And nothing would ever be the same again.
I need to speak to my best friend!