I didn't tell Lily about the fight right away.
I wasn't ready for the look she would give me - the look she gave when she cared too much.
But Lily could read me the way she read her textbooks: quickly and accurately.
The next morning, as we both walked to our department, she asked,
"What's wrong?"
I tried denying it.
"You're quiet. And when you're quiet, something is up."
Finally, I told her.
"Kade got jealous... over Rav."
Lily didn't react dramatically.
She just sighed.
"Yeah. I've been waiting for that to happen."
I looked at her sharply.
"What do you mean?"
She shrugged.
"You have a calming friendship with Rav. And Kade is... intense. Of course he'd feel threatened."
I didn't respond.
Because a part of me knew Lily was right.
Student Week brought new people into our circle
Zoey petite, loud, and the kind of girl who always knows the latest gossip.
She joined the volunteer team with Lily and immediately attached herself to our group.
Zoey talked fast and thought fast but I wasn't much of a talkative.
During lunch break, we sat in an empty hall
Zoey was talking loudly about someone's embarrassing dance audition.
Adam was teasing her gently.
I was sketching in my notebook and Lily was eating my snacks, as usual.
Rav sat next to me, not too close, but close enough to show he was paying attention.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
I nodded, though the truth was shaky.
Rav didn't push.
He wasn't the type.
But he added softly,
"If anyone is stressing you... you don't have to deal with it alone."
His voice wasn't flirtatious.
Wasn't emotional.
Just steady.
For some reason, it made my chest tighten - not romantically, but because it felt safe.
Later that day, as we were leaving the volunteer hall, Kade appeared at the end of the walkway.
His eyes swept over the group - lingering too long on Rav.
Then on Adam.
Then even on Zoey for some reason.
He didn't smile.
He didn't greet anyone.
He just said,
"Can I talk to you?"
Lily's eyes flickered with warning.
Rav subtly shifted, like he was ready to step in if needed.
I was nervous.
I followed Kade to a quieter corner, and he wasted no time.
"Who are all these new people?"
His tone wasn't curious - it was possessive.
"My friends," I said.
"They're part of the Student Week volunteer group."
He scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Since when do you need this many people around you?"
I stared at him, stunned.
"Kade... they're just friends. You're making it into something it's not."
But he wasn't listening. And then he added: "I don't like you and Rav being this close. And now you have more guys in the group? Adam? Seriously?"
My heart sank.
I wasn't even very close with them but Lily likes people around so I just hang around with them
For the first time...
I didn't feel flattered.
I felt controlled.
"Kade," I said softly, "you're overreacting."
He looked at me like I had betrayed him.
"I'm your boyfriend. I should come first. Not Rav. Not Adam. Not any of them."
I felt something shift inside you.
A small, quiet crack in the image I had built.
And for the first time since the beginning...
I didn't rush to fix it.
The day of the Student Week showcase was electric.
Lily and I were matching - sleek outfits, shimmery makeup, our confidence glowing from head to toe. Everyone from our department hyped us up, cheering when we stepped onto the runway.
For a moment... I forgot everything else.
I felt pretty.
I felt alive.
I felt me.
The Moment on Stage
We walked perfectly.
The lights hit just right.
The crowd roared.
People shouted my name and Lily's, phones flashing from every direction.
When we stepped off stage, sweaty and excited, Lily hugged me.
"I'm so proud of you," she laughed.
I was buzzing - smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.
And then I saw him.
Kade's Cold Reaction
Kade stood near the entrance, arms crossed, not smiling.
"You took too long," he said the second I reached him.
"I've been waiting."
My excitement dimmed instantly - like someone pouring water over fire.
"Oh," I whispered. "Sorry. We had to stay back for-"
"It's fine," he cut in.
But it didn't sound fine.
He barely looked at my outfit, or my makeup, or the fact that the crowd just screamed for me.
He didn't even say "congratulations."
Just that I took too long.
Lily watched the whole exchange.
Her expression dropped.
Rav, who was standing a little farther away, looked... disappointed for me.
When I got back to my room that night, the applause was still ringing in my ears - but so were Kade's words.
While Lily slept beside me, I stared at the ceiling, replaying everything.
His clinginess.
The pressure.
The disappointment in his voice every time I said no.
I didn't have the answer.
Not yet.
But for the first time... I wanted to.