Shades of Desire

Ethan

I walked into the cafeteria, hoping for a quiet lunch, but the moment I sat down, the whispers pierced through the clatter of trays and chatter.

"Did you hear Ivy and Jace are together now?"

Another group of girls giggled. My stomach twisted. I pushed my food away, suddenly nauseous.

The whole campus seemed to be buzzing with their relationship, and I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart. I didn't want to care, but how could I not?

"Dude, are you okay?" Sam asked, glancing at me with concern etched on his face. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I forced a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. "Just tired, I guess."

"You sure? You haven't said much all lunch."

"Yeah, just... thinking." The truth was, I couldn't stop thinking about how everything had changed so quickly. One moment, Ivy was in my arms, and now she was with my stepbrother.

"Look, I know it's tough," Sam said quietly, leaning in closer. "But you can't let this get to you. You need to talk about it."

"Talk about what? How Ivy has moved on with Jace while I'm stuck here?" I snapped, frustration bubbling up. "I thought we were figuring things out. Now she's with him, and it hurts."

"Ethan, you loved her. It's okay to feel hurt. But you can't keep dwelling on this," Sam replied, his tone calming.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my anger faltering.

"Just what I said. Maybe it's time to let her go. If she's with Jace now, it's clear she's made her choice."

I clenched my jaw, staring at the table. "I can't just let go. Seeing them together... it's like a punch to the gut."

"Then talk to her. You deserve closure. Just reach out and see how she feels," Sam encouraged, his eyes earnest.

"Yeah, right. What am I going to say? 'Hey Ivy, how's it going with my stepbrother?'" I scoffed, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

"Or maybe just be honest. Ask her how she feels about everything. It doesn't have to be awkward."

His suggestion lingered, but the thought of confronting Ivy sent a shiver down my spine. "I don't want to open old wounds. What if she's happy? I can't handle hearing that."

We fell into a silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavily in the air. I wanted Ivy to be happy, but seeing her with Jace made my heart ache. It wasn't fair—she had moved on, and I was still stuck here, drowning in memories.

After lunch, I wandered the campus, each corner filled with reminders of what I had lost. The laughter that echoed around me felt distant, almost mocking. The conversations I overheard about Ivy and Jace only deepened the ache in my chest.

As evening settled in, I met up with Sam again. He was flipping through his phone when I arrived, but he looked up, his expression shifting to concern.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, placing his phone down.

"I don't know, man. It's just... everything feels different." I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration bubbling back to the surface. "I feel like I lost something I never even had."

"You still have your friends. We're here for you," Sam said, his voice steady.

"Yeah, I know. But it's not the same." I sighed, feeling the weight of my thoughts. "I just keep thinking about Ivy and Jace. I should've fought harder for her, but I didn't."

"Sometimes, you have to let things go. If she's meant to be with Jace, maybe that's how it's supposed to be. You can't change that," Sam replied, his tone reassuring.

"Maybe," I muttered, staring out into the distance. "But it still hurts."

As I left, the emptiness followed me like a shadow. The campus felt different now—every smile and laugh reminded me of what I had lost. I had to decide what to do next. The echoes of my heartache lingered, reminding me that change was unavoidable, and I had to figure out how to cope with it.