Love, Lies, and Loyalty

Chapter 8: Crossroads of the Heart

Mia's phone buzzed on the dresser, and she glanced at the screen. A message from Ryan: "Hey, you free today? Want to hang out?"

Her stomach clenched. She wanted to see him—of course, she did—but every time they were together, the weight of the situation made it harder to breathe. How was she supposed to act normal, knowing that Sarah felt the same way about him? More importantly, how could she spend time with Ryan when she had promised Sarah they would both take a step back?

The phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Sarah: "I'm heading to the library. Wanna join?"

Mia sighed. It was clear what Sarah was doing—keeping her distance from Ryan. The two of them had agreed that neither of them would make a move. They didn't want to hurt each other, and Ryan wasn't the type of guy to play games. He deserved better than being caught in the middle of a silent competition between friends.

Mia typed a quick reply to Sarah: "Yeah, I'll meet you there in 10."

At the library, Sarah was already seated at a corner table, surrounded by books. Mia walked over and dropped her bag beside her, offering a weak smile.

"Hey," Sarah greeted, glancing up from her notes.

"Hey," Mia replied, taking a seat. The atmosphere between them was comfortable, but there was an unspoken tension that neither of them could ignore.

Sarah closed her notebook and looked at Mia seriously. "Ryan texted me earlier."

Mia raised her eyebrows. "What did he say?"

"He asked if I wanted to hang out. I told him I had plans," Sarah said with a forced casualness. "I guess we're both doing the 'take a step back' thing, huh?"

Mia nodded, the knot in her chest tightening. "Yeah. He texted me too, and I... I told him I was busy."

They shared a glance, a brief but understanding look that spoke volumes. Neither of them was happy with this arrangement, but neither wanted to hurt the other. It was an impossible situation, but they were both trying their best to navigate it.

"So," Sarah said, leaning back in her chair, "are we really going to do this? Stay out of each other's way when it comes to Ryan?"

Mia bit her lip, her mind racing. She wanted to be the good friend, the selfless one. But every time she saw Ryan, her resolve wavered. How long could they keep this up? How long before one of them broke?

"I don't know," Mia admitted quietly. "It's hard, Sarah. I don't want to lose you, but I can't just pretend my feelings for him don't exist."

Sarah nodded, her expression softening. "I know. It's hard for me too. But we agreed, right? We don't want to turn this into some weird competition."

Mia looked down at her hands, unsure of what to say. She cared about Sarah—more than anything—but her feelings for Ryan weren't going away. She had thought that taking a step back would make things easier, but instead, it was making everything more complicated.

"We'll figure it out," Sarah said after a long pause. "I don't know how, but we will."

Mia forced a smile, though her heart felt heavy. She wished she could believe that. But with each passing day, it felt like the distance between them and Ryan was growing. And if they kept pulling away, would he notice? Would he care?

The rest of the afternoon passed in silence, both girls lost in their own thoughts. They studied, they worked, but the unspoken tension lingered. Mia knew they couldn't avoid Ryan forever, but for now, they were trying. And that was all they could do.

By the time Mia got home, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Ryan: "Is everything okay? You and Sarah seem a little distant lately."

Her heart skipped a beat. He had noticed.

Mia stared at the message, unsure of how to respond. She wanted to tell him the truth, to explain everything. But how could she? It wasn't just her secret to tell—it was Sarah's too. And the last thing she wanted was to hurt either of them.

After a few moments, Mia typed a quick reply: "We're fine. Just busy with school stuff. Talk soon!"

She hit send, then flopped down onto her bed, feeling the weight of the situation press down on her. Taking a step back from Ryan was supposed to make things easier, but it was only making things more complicated.

That evening, Mia lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had thought this would get easier with time, that her feelings for Ryan would fade if she just stayed away. But they weren't fading. If anything, they were growing stronger. And the more she distanced herself from him, the more it hurt.

She thought about Sarah, about their silent agreement to step back, to not make things awkward. But how long could they keep this up before someone broke?

Mia closed her eyes, trying to push the thoughts away. Tomorrow was a new day. Maybe things would be clearer then. But deep down, she knew that nothing was going to change. Not until one of them took a step forward.