Lonely hearts

20. jealous

Olivia POV:

It was a sunny afternoon when Chris, Nick, Matt, and I decided to go to the movies together. It was an attempt to ease the tension between us, especially after the events of the past few days. But I felt a knot in my stomach at the thought of facing Matt after our awkward confrontation.

I had been struggling with my feelings and the pain of rejection over the past few days. Matt hadn't spoken to me since that evening, and it hurt more than I had expected. It felt as though our friendship, which was once so strong, was in some kind of limbo. Still, I wanted to try to improve the situation and hoped that this movie night would be a step in the right direction.

When I arrived at the cinema, I saw Chris and Nick already there. They waved cheerfully at me, and I smiled, happy to see them. But my heart skipped a beat when I saw Matt arriving, hand in hand with Amber. They were laughing and talking, clearly at ease with each other. The knot in my stomach tightened.

"Hey, Olivia," Chris said cheerfully. "Ready for the movie?"

"Yeah, absolutely," I replied, trying to hide my jealousy. "What are we seeing?"

"It's a new action-comedy," Nick replied. "It's supposed to be really good."

We bought our tickets and snacks and walked into the theater. Chris and Nick went ahead, chatting excitedly about the film, while Matt and Amber followed behind, still hand in hand. I walked beside them, my heart heavy with the awkward tension.

When we reached our seats, I sat next to Nick, with Chris on my other side. Matt and Amber sat on the other side of Chris, which was a small relief. But even from my vision, I could see how close they were. Matt whispered something in Amber's ear, and she giggled softly, leaning closer to him.

The lights dimmed and the movie began, but I couldn't focus on the screen. Instead, my thoughts kept drifting back to Matt and Amber. Every time they touched or whispered to each other, I felt a pang of jealousy. It was as if a wall had been placed between Matt and me, a wall I couldn't break through.

Halfway through the movie, in an attempt to distract myself, I looked at Chris. He smiled encouragingly at me and gave my hand a squeeze. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot. Despite everything, I knew that Chris and Nick were there for me, and that gave me some comfort.

When the movie finally ended, we got up and walked outside. The fresh evening air felt like a relief after the stuffy theater. We decided to chat for a bit at a nearby café. As we walked to the café, Matt and Amber continued to walk hand in hand, and the jealousy I had tried so hard to suppress bubbled up again.

We took a seat at a table outside and ordered drinks. The conversations flowed about various topics, but I couldn't keep my eyes off Matt and Amber. They seemed so happy together, and it hurt to see how easy it was for them while I struggled with my feelings.

At one point, during a brief lull in the conversation, I couldn't take it any longer. I leaned forward and said softly to Matt, "Can we talk? Just the two of us?"

Matt looked surprised but then nodded slowly. "Of course, Olivia." He stood up and followed me a bit away from the table, to a quiet corner of the café.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice kind but cautious.

"Matt, I know this might not be the best time," I began, my heart pounding in my chest. "But I need to know where we stand. You haven't really talked to me since that night, and it feels like there's a distance between us."

Matt sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Olivia, I'm sorry I left you hanging. It's all been very confusing for me. I value our friendship a lot, but I'm also with Amber."

I felt a lump in my throat, but I forced myself to keep talking. "I understand that, Matt. But it hurts to see how close you two are while I still have feelings for you." Matt looked at me directly, his eyes serious. "Olivia, I don't want you to feel bad. But I can't give you what you want. My relationship with Amber is important to me, and I don't want to mess that up." I nodded slowly, the reality of his words sinking into my consciousness. "I get it, Matt. I just want you to know that I'll always value you as a friend, despite my feelings."

"I appreciate that, Olivia," he said softly. "Let's try to move past this awkward situation and focus on our friendship. That's what has always made us strong." We returned to the table and tried to make the rest of the evening as normal as possible. But the tension was still palpable, and although the guys did their best to cheer me up, I still felt lost in my own thoughts.

When the night finally came to an end and we said our goodbyes, Matt turned to me and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Olivia."

I gave a weak smile and nodded. "Yeah, see you tomorrow, Matt."