Beneath The Surface

Chapter 24: Unveiling the Truth

The morning light filtered through Ava's window, gently rousing her from sleep. Her body felt heavy, the emotional weight of the previous day lingering. She rolled over and grabbed her phone, blinking as she adjusted to the brightness. Ethan's message from the night before still sat unread on her screen.

"I care about you, Ava. Don't forget that."

A small smile tugged at her lips. Despite everything, Ethan had been a constant, never pushing her too far but always making sure she knew he was there. She quickly typed a response: **"Thank you, Ethan. I'll talk to you later."** Hitting send, she got out of bed, feeling a little lighter.

The house was quiet as she made her way downstairs. Her mom was already off to work, and Ava was grateful for the solitude. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat at the kitchen table, her mind wandering to Lucas. Their conversation from the previous day played on repeat in her head, his pained expression haunting her.

The truth was, she didn't know how to fix things with Lucas. Their friendship had always been easy, but now everything felt strained, complicated. She had wanted to open up to him, to tell him the truth about how she felt, but the words had stuck in her throat. She wasn't ready to hurt him more than she already had.

After breakfast, Ava decided to head to school early. She needed time to clear her head before facing everyone. Walking through the quiet halls, she found a spot near the library where she could sit and think. As she settled into the corner, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Lucas.

**"We need to talk."**

Ava's heart sank. She had known this was coming, but the reality of it made her stomach churn. Part of her wanted to avoid him, to run away from the conversation she knew they needed to have. But another part of her, the part that had spent the last few months hiding behind a mask, knew that she couldn't keep avoiding the truth. She needed to face it.

She quickly typed back: **"Okay. After school?"**

Lucas responded almost immediately: **"Yeah. Meet me by the old gym."**

With a deep breath, Ava shoved her phone back into her bag. The rest of the day passed in a blur. She attended her classes, nodded along as friends chatted, and avoided both Lucas and Ethan whenever she spotted them in the halls. The weight of what was to come sat heavy in her chest, and it was all she could do to hold it together until the end of the day.

When the final bell rang, Ava made her way toward the old gym, her heart pounding with each step. She wasn't sure what Lucas wanted to say, but she knew this conversation would change everything between them.

As she rounded the corner, she saw him standing by the door, his hands shoved into his pockets. He looked up when he saw her, his expression unreadable.

"Hey," he said, his voice low.

"Hey," she replied, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say.

They stood in silence for a moment, the tension between them thick. Finally, Lucas spoke.

"I'm not going to pretend like I don't care about you, Ava," he said, his voice steady but laced with emotion. "I know we've been friends for a long time, but... it's more than that for me. It's been more for a while now."

Ava's chest tightened. She had known this, of course, but hearing it out loud made it feel so much more real.

"Lucas..." she began, but he shook his head, cutting her off.

"Let me finish," he said. "I've tried to be patient, tried to give you space, but I can't keep pretending like this doesn't affect me. Seeing you with Ethan, it... it hurts, Ava. I don't know how to deal with it."

Ava's throat tightened, guilt washing over her. She had never wanted to hurt Lucas, but in trying to protect him, she had only made things worse.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you. You've always been important to me, Lucas. But... I don't know how I feel. Everything's been so confusing."

Lucas nodded, his expression softening slightly. "I get that. And I don't want to pressure you. But I need to know if there's a chance for us. If not... I need to move on."

Ava's heart raced. She didn't know how to respond. Her feelings for Lucas were real, but so were her feelings for Ethan. The thought of losing Lucas, though, of seeing him walk away from her life, filled her with a deep sense of loss.

"I don't know," she said finally, her voice trembling. "I need time to figure things out."

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can give you time, Ava. But not forever."

The finality of his words hit her like a punch to the gut. She nodded, unable to find the right words to respond.

"I'll see you around," Lucas said quietly before turning and walking away, leaving Ava standing there, alone and more confused than ever.

As he disappeared down the hallway, Ava's phone buzzed again. It was Ethan.

**"Are you okay?"**

Ava stared at the message, her heart heavy with the weight of the decisions she knew she would have to make.

**"Not really,"** she typed back. **"But I'm trying."**

And for the first time, she realized that trying might not be enough. She had to make a choice—before she lost them both.