Unspoken Goals

Guilt

September 20th

It was another Friday morning, and Juliette was on her way to class. As she rounded a corner, her eyes landed on Ethan. He was leaning casually against a wall, his charm on full display as he flirted with some girl. Juliette's steps faltered, the scene unfolding like a slow-motion betrayal. She watched as his face flickered with guilt, a fleeting mask of shame that vanished as quickly as it appeared, knowing he had been caught in the act.

Without hesitation, she marched over and grabbed his arm, interrupting their conversation. "Sorry to interrupt, but I really need to chat with our friend Ethan here," she said, her smile brittle and forced. With a firm grip, she pulled Ethan into an empty room, the door closing behind them with a decisive click.

Juliette released his arm, her eyes blazing with anger. "I'll give you two seconds to explain why you were flirting with that girl."

Ethan crossed his arms, trying to mask his discomfort. "I wasn't."

"Bullshit, Ethan. I saw and heard you."

"It doesn't matter what you think you saw or heard, Juliette. Abigail won't believe you," he snapped, his voice edged with defiance.

Juliette's patience was pushed to its limit. She pushed him against the wall, grabbing his shirt. "Listen closely. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say I misheard you. But I swear to God, Ethan, if I catch you doing shady shit like this again, I will not hesitate to tell Abigail. Understood?"

Ethan clenched his jaw, his silence speaking volumes.

Juliette pushed him harder into the wall. "I said understood."

Ethan nods his head.

Juliette lets him go, her steps firm as she walked to the door. Before exiting, she turned back, her voice cold and resolute. "Just so you know, this isn't me doing you a favor. I'm doing this because I know how much it will hurt Abigail if she found out." With that, she left the room, leaving Ethan to stew in his guilt and regret.

---

Later that night, the girls hosted a small party in their apartment. Ethan's eyes never left Juliette, his earlier confrontation with her gnawing at his nerves. Each shared glance and laugh between Juliette and Abigail felt like a dagger, twisting deeper into his growing paranoia.

"Hey, babe," Abigail slurred, swaying slightly as she approached Ethan. She leaned in, planting a sloppy kiss on his lips.

He kissed her back, forcing a smile to mask his unease. "Are you having fun tonight?"

She giggled, the sound light and carefree. "So much fun."

Juliette sauntered over, slipping her arm around Abby with an easy familiarity. "Abs carried us to a win in beer pong," she said, her tone casual but her eyes challenging as they met Ethan's.

"Is that so?" Ethan replied, attempting to sound amused, but the tension was palpable.

"I only made like two shots," Abigail giggled, nestling closer to Juliette, blissfully unaware of the silent battle between her best friend and her boyfriend.

"You made the winning shot," Juliette countered, her smirk widening as she held Ethan's gaze. "Anyway, Soph and Em sent me over to get you to dance, Abs."

"Okay, bye Eth," Abigail said cheerfully, waving as Juliette led her away, the two of them laughing as they rejoined the party.

The girls joined a group of their teammates dancing in the living room. Abigail's laughter rang out, infectious and bright, as Juliette spun her around. Their favorite song came on, and the whole team joined in, the apartment filled with their spirited singing.

Abigail giggled, her eyes sparkling as she sang along, their voices melding with the music. When the song ended, Abigail wrapped her arms around Juliette once more, their bodies swaying in unison. Juliette's heart fluttered, the butterflies in her stomach impossible to ignore. The touch of Abigail's hands on her back, the warmth of her embrace—it was all too much and yet not enough. Despite the fluttering in her chest, Juliette held onto the moment, cherishing the closeness while trying to push aside the feelings she had been trying so hard to suppress.

Ethan couldn't help but notice the touchiness between Juliette and Abigail as they danced together, their laughter and closeness eating away at his composure. Trying to focus on his conversation with friends, he kept glancing over, feeling increasingly unsettled.

As the party began to wind down, Ethan made his move. He walked over to Abigail and gently took her hand. "Can we talk in your room?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Sure," she replied, puzzled, and followed him.

Inside the room, Ethan closed the door behind them, the click echoing in the quiet space. He turned to face Abigail, who was now seated on the edge of her bed, her confusion deepening. "Spit it out, Ethan. I can tell you have something to say."

Ethan took a deep breath, his mind racing with doubts and insecurities. "I don't like how close you and Juliette were tonight."

Abigail raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief. "Tell me you're joking."

But Ethan's face remained serious. He didn't say a word, the tension thick in the air.

"Oh, you're serious," she said, her voice tinged with frustration.

He nodded, his jaw tight.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Ethan. Juliette and I have been best friends since childhood. You know that. Why is it suddenly a problem?"

"I don't have an issue with your friendship," he said, his voice low and strained. "It's how touchy you were with her tonight. It makes me wonder if there's more to it."

Abigail stood up, moving to the other side of the room. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, Ethan." Her tone was firm, but inside, panic fluttered—had the feelings she had buried so deeply shown?

"Unless you're just like her, I'd appreciate it if you backed off a bit," he said, leaning against the door, arms crossed.

Abigail's eyes flashed with anger. "What do you even mean by that, Ethan?" She mirrored his posture, crossing her arms.

"I mean, are you a dyke like her?" he spat, his eyes locked on hers.

Fury ignited within Abigail. She marched up to him, poking him in the chest with each word. "I have no idea where this is coming from, but don't you dare talk about my best friend like that, and don't you ever tell me to distance myself from her."

He grabbed her hand, pulling it away from his chest. "I just think it would be the respectful thing to do."

She stood there, jaw clenched, staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and rage. She had never been so mad at someone before. Who did he think he was, speaking to her like this and belittling her best friend?

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she said, "Please move out of my way, Ethan. I'm walking away from this conversation before I say something I'll regret."

He looked at her for a moment, then reluctantly stepped aside. It wasn't that he was jealous of Juliette or disliked her; in fact, they actually got along quite well. He was simply mad at himself for his behavior and was afraid Juliette would tell Abigail what she had seen.

As she opened the door, she turned back, her voice cold and resolute. "We'll talk about this later, but you better rethink making me choose between you and Juliette." With that, she walked out, the door slamming behind her, leaving Ethan to grapple with his guilt and fear.

[A/N]: How do we feel about Ethan now? 

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