𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

𝐓 𝐖 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐓 𝐖 𝐎

Camden

The sun was warm on my back as Caden and I strolled into the bike store. The walls were lined with shiny helmets, all different colors and styles, but my mind wasn't really on shopping. Not after the diner. Not after Sofia.

Caden grabbed a black helmet from the shelf and turned it over in his hands. "You know, this store used to be bigger." he commented absently, glancing around at the rows of bikes in the corner.

I nodded, pretending to be interested, but my thoughts were miles away. Sofia had been ignoring me ever since that night. It'd been three days, and I hadn't heard a single word from her. Not a text. Not a call. Nothing. And it was driving me insane.

"So, are you actually going to look at helmets, or are you just going to stand there and mope?" Caden's voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, and I turned to find him watching me with raised eyebrows.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I'm not moping."

"You're definitely moping."

I shot him a half-hearted glare but couldn't deny it. I grabbed a random helmet off the shelf and pretended to inspect it, though my mind was still elsewhere. "It's just... I haven't heard from Sofia since the diner."

Caden turned to face me fully, his brow furrowing. "What happened at the diner?"

I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment. It wasn't like I hadn't been replaying the whole thing in my head over and over, but saying it out loud felt... different. Like admitting something I wasn't sure I was ready to admit. "Well, you know how Sofia and I have been faking this whole relationship thing to make Mateo jealous?"

He nodded, leaning against one of the bike racks, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I'm aware. How'd that go?"

"Too well." I groaned, leaning against the shelf behind me, the helmet in my hand forgotten. "I don't know what happened, man. I was just... playing the part. I kissed her cheek in front of Mateo, told him how happy I was to have her, and... I don't know, something shifted."

"Shifted how?" Caden asked, frowning slightly.

"She blushed." I said, feeling stupid for even bringing it up. "Like, she actually blushed. And I wasn't expecting that. It caught me off guard. I thought we were just faking it, but... now I don't know. Everything feels different."

Caden tilted his head, giving me a look that said he was trying to read between the lines. "Different how?"

"I can't stop thinking about her in that moment." I admitted, the words tumbling out faster than I'd meant them to. "Like, every time we're together, it feels real. Not just for her, but for me too. And now she's ignoring me. It's been three days, Caden. Three days, and nothing. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Caden was quiet for a moment, absorbing everything I'd said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before speaking. "You love her."

It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a suggestion. It was a statement. And hearing him say it out loud made my stomach flip.

"I don't know if I—"

"You really love her." he repeated, cutting me off. "I've known you for a long time, Cam. I know when something's messing with your head. And this? This is messing with your head. You wouldn't be this worked up if you didn't feel something for her, you love the girl."

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. He wasn't wrong. Ever since the diner, my thoughts had been consumed by Sofia. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her blushing, felt her leaning into me, remembered the way her hand fit so perfectly in mine.