Beneath The Surface

Chapter 27: Torn Between Two

The rest of the day dragged on in a blur. Ava kept replaying her conversation with Lucas in her mind, trying to make sense of everything. His words echoed in her head, and she couldn't help but feel the weight of his emotions. He cared about her, that much was clear, but so did Ethan. How could she possibly choose between the two of them without hurting one— or both?

By the time lunch rolled around, Ava's nerves were frayed. She spotted Ethan sitting at their usual table, casually laughing with a group of friends. Her heart clenched at the sight of him. He looked so carefree, so different from the complicated storm of emotions she felt swirling inside her.

Summoning her courage, Ava walked over to him. She hadn't spoken to Ethan properly since the weekend, and the guilt gnawed at her. She owed him a conversation, too. As she approached, Ethan glanced up, his smile faltering slightly when he saw her.

"Ava, hey!" he greeted her, patting the seat next to him.

"Hey," she replied, sitting down. "Can we talk? Alone?"

Ethan's face immediately grew serious, and he nodded, excusing himself from the group. They moved to a quieter corner of the cafeteria, away from prying eyes.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, concern etched in his voice.

Ava bit her lip, unsure of where to start. She had been dreading this conversation, but it was necessary. Ethan deserved the truth, no matter how difficult it was.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," she began, her voice shaky. "About us. About Lucas. About everything."

Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

Ava took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I care about you, Ethan. You've been nothing but kind and supportive to me, and I'm so grateful for that. But... things with Lucas have gotten complicated."

Ethan's expression darkened, and Ava could see the hurt starting to form in his eyes. "So, it's about him? You like him more than me?"

"It's not that simple," Ava said quickly, shaking her head. "I don't know how to explain it, but I'm torn. I care about both of you, and I hate that I'm in this position."

Ethan let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. "I knew it. I could feel something was off, but I didn't want to believe it."

Ava's chest tightened at the pain in his voice. She never wanted to hurt Ethan, but the situation had spiraled beyond her control.

"I'm so sorry, Ethan. I didn't want any of this to happen," she whispered.

Ethan looked down, his jaw clenched. "So, what now? Are you choosing him?"

Ava hesitated, her mind spinning. She didn't have an answer. How could she possibly choose when her heart was being pulled in two directions?

"I don't know yet," she admitted quietly. "I need more time to figure things out."

Ethan sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know if I can just wait around, Ava. This—this isn't fair to anyone."

"I know," Ava murmured, guilt washing over her. "But I don't want to rush into something and make the wrong choice. I need to be sure."

Ethan stared at her for a long moment, his face a mixture of hurt and frustration. "I get it. I really do. But just know that I'm not going to wait forever."

With that, he stood up, leaving Ava sitting alone in the corner of the cafeteria. She watched him walk away, her heart heavy with the weight of her indecision. How had things gotten so complicated? She had two incredible guys vying for her attention, but instead of feeling lucky, she felt trapped.

As lunch ended and the day continued, Ava couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of confusion and sadness that clung to her. Both Lucas and Ethan meant so much to her, but she knew that eventually, she would have to choose. And no matter who she chose, someone would end up hurt.

That night, Ava lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, but one thing was clear: she couldn't keep running from this. It wasn't fair to anyone involved, least of all herself. She needed to face her feelings head-on, no matter how painful it might be.

But as she drifted off to sleep, the question that haunted her remained unanswered: who would she choose?