Beneath The Surface

Chapter 41: The Talk

Ava's heart pounded in her chest as she stood frozen, Ethan's words hanging in the air between them. "We need to talk." It was the last thing she wanted to hear, but she knew it had to happen. There was no running from it anymore. She couldn't keep avoiding the inevitable.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ethan motioned toward a nearby bench just outside the school gates, away from prying eyes and the noise of passing students. She followed him, her mind spinning with thoughts of what he might say, how she could possibly explain everything she was feeling.

Once they were seated, the silence between them felt heavy, almost suffocating. Ethan stared at the ground for a moment, gathering his thoughts. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm but laced with a tension that Ava had never heard from him before.

"Ava," he began, "I don't know what's going on with you and Lucas. But I need to know... where I stand with you."

Her chest tightened. She knew this conversation was coming, but now that it was happening, she didn't feel ready at all. How could she explain the mess of emotions she was feeling? How could she choose when she didn't even know what her heart wanted?

"I... I'm sorry," Ava started, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean for things to get so complicated. I care about you, Ethan. A lot. But things have gotten so confusing with Lucas and..."

Ethan's jaw clenched, and he cut her off, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "So you do have feelings for him?"

Ava hesitated, unsure how to answer without making things worse. The truth was, yes, she did have feelings for Lucas. But that didn't mean her feelings for Ethan weren't real, too. She was trapped, torn between two people who meant so much to her.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice small. "I care about both of you. But I didn't plan for this to happen, Ethan. It just... did."

Ethan let out a long breath, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I get that you didn't plan it, Ava. But I can't keep doing this. I can't keep waiting around while you figure out your feelings."

Tears welled up in Ava's eyes as guilt washed over her. She knew he was right. She had been selfish, holding onto both of them without making a decision, hoping she could avoid hurting either one. But in the end, she was hurting them both—and herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, her voice breaking. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Ethan's expression softened, and for a moment, he just looked at her, the hurt clear in his eyes. "I know, Ava. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm in love with you. And it kills me to see you so torn between me and him."

Ava's heart shattered at his words. She had always known Ethan cared about her, but hearing him say he was in love with her made everything feel so much more real, so much more painful.

"I don't know what to do," she confessed, her hands trembling in her lap. "I don't want to lose you, Ethan. But I don't know if I can give you the answer you want right now."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling with his emotions. He was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke again.

"I can't force you to choose," he said softly, his voice heavy with sadness. "But I need some space, Ava. I can't keep pretending that everything's okay when it's not."

Ava's heart sank. She knew this was coming, but it still hurt more than she expected. The thought of losing Ethan, even temporarily, made her chest ache.

"Are you... are you breaking up with me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan shook his head, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "No. I just need some time to think. I need to figure out if I can handle all of this—if I can handle not being your only choice."

Ava nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. She wanted to reach out to him, to beg him not to go, but she knew that wouldn't be fair. He deserved space. He deserved better than the confusion she had put him through.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I understand."

Ethan stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked down at her one last time. "I'll see you around, Ava."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Ava sitting alone on the bench, her heart breaking into a million pieces.

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