"What Are You Waiting For?" || ORIGINAL STORY.

Chapter Fifty-Four.

Darren's POV.

I watched as she hurried to leave, a look of disappointment lingering on her face.

I was perplexed and taken aback by the whole interaction.

Why did it suddenly get so cold and tense?

I quickly followed her, worried.

Once I reached the secluded spot, I saw her standing by the tree, leaning against it with her eyes closed.

I approached her quietly, careful not to startle her.

She seemed lost in thought, her expression a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked gently, standing a couple of feet away from her.

She jumped slightly, clearly startled.

When she noticed it was me, she seemed to relax a bit.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice not at all convincing. "Just needed some peace and quiet."

I didn't believe her for a second.

I got closer to her, closing the distance between us.

"Something clearly happened there," I said. "What's wrong?"

She avoided my gaze, looking anywhere but at me.

"It's nothing," she mumbled, even though I could see the strain in her eyes.

I wasn't going to let it go this easily.

"It's clearly not nothing," I pressed on, moving even closer to her. "You've been off since the moment you gave me those cookies."

She finally looked at me then, her eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and resignation.

"It's just..." she started, then paused, taking a deep breath. "Anika. She just.. gets on my nerves."

I nodded, understanding her frustration.

"I know," I said, keeping my voice gentle.

But then, I realised there was a hint of jealousy in her tone.

She was annoyed by Anika, but there was more to it.

"Is that the only reason?" I asked, hoping she would open up to me.

She seemed reluctant to answer for a moment, but she must have seen the genuine concern in my face.

She let out a sigh.

"I guess.. I'm jealous," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

I felt my heart constrict at her words.

I definitely wasn't expecting that confession.

"You're.. jealous?" I repeated, trying to understand. "Jealous of.. what exactly?"

She bit her lip, struggling to find the right words.

"Of her. Of Anika," she said, her voice strained.

"She's always by your side, always talking with you, laughing. And I... I can't help but feel jealous. It's stupid, I know, but.." she trailed off, looking away.

I stepped closer to her, closing the remaining distance between us.

"Hey, look at me," I said, gently tilting her chin up so that she was looking at me.

She reluctantly raised her gaze to meet mine, her eyes searching mine for some sort of reassurance.

I held her gaze, my voice soft yet firm.