Crossing the line

14: Caught In The Crossfire

JAKE

Jake sat at the edge of his bed, staring down at his phone, the screen glowing with unanswered messages. His mind wasn't on them, though. It was on her. On Ava. It had been on her for days, maybe even weeks now, and no matter how hard he tried to push those thoughts away, they kept coming back, like waves crashing against the shore-relentless and unavoidable.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, then tossed his phone onto the nightstand. His room felt smaller lately, more suffocating. It didn't help that every time he saw Ava, his resolve cracked a little more. Every smile she threw his way, every casual brush of her hand, made it harder to keep his distance. But he had to. For her sake, for Liam's. He couldn't risk screwing everything up.

The problem was, he was already in too deep.

That morning, when she'd come back from the fair, her whole face had lit up, and for a second, Jake had let himself imagine what it would be like to be the reason she smiled like that. He wanted to be that for her. More than anything. But as soon as the thought entered his mind, guilt followed. He couldn't go there. It was selfish. It was dangerous.

Ava knew how he felt. She'd known for a while, and maybe that made it worse. He didn't have to spell it out. It was in the way he looked at her, the way he held himself back just when he wanted to step closer. There was no point in pretending otherwise-he was pretty sure she could feel it too. But that only complicated things further.

There were unspoken rules, boundaries that Jake couldn't bring himself to cross, no matter how much he wanted to. Liam was like a brother to him, and the idea of betraying that trust gnawed at him. Every time he imagined Ava as something more than just Liam's sister, that same thought would surface, cold and unwavering: What if this ruins everything?

Jake had been in the background for so long, keeping his feelings tucked away, convinced that things were better this way. And now, even though he could feel the tension between them growing, he still couldn't make himself act on it. Ava had never pushed, and he was grateful for that. But he could tell she was waiting-for him to say something, do something. He could see it in the way she lingered in a room a little longer when it was just the two of them, the way she seemed to hold her breath when they locked eyes.

But he couldn't give her what she wanted, not yet. Maybe not ever.

It wasn't just fear of losing his best friend; it was fear of losing her. Ava was important to him, in ways she probably didn't even know. She wasn't just a crush or some fleeting feeling. She was the constant-his anchor. And if he let himself fall into this, there was no coming back. If it didn't work out, he could lose both her and Liam.

He stood up, pacing across the room, his frustration mounting. His heart and his head were locked in a battle he couldn't resolve. Every logical thought told him to keep his distance, to let things stay as they were. But then there was the part of him that screamed for more. It wanted to close the gap between them, to see what would happen if he finally stopped holding back.

It would be so easy to just let go.

But nothing with Ava was ever simple. The weight of what they could lose hung over him like a heavy cloud. And the more he thought about it, the more he hated himself for not being able to make a choice.

Jake leaned against the wall, staring out of the small window in his room. The setting sun cast a warm, golden glow over the neighborhood, and the world outside seemed so peaceful compared to the storm in his mind. He wished he could turn it all off for a while, shut down the part of him that cared so damn much. But it wasn't that easy.

He wondered what Ava was thinking right now. Whether she was confused by his silence or frustrated that he kept pulling away. Did she even understand why? Or was she waiting, hoping that he would take a step forward? She deserved answers, but Jake wasn't sure he had the courage to give them.

He pushed himself off the wall, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door. He needed air, needed space to think. Being cooped up in his room wasn't helping. The more time he spent alone, the more he spiraled into thoughts he couldn't control. Maybe a walk would clear his head, give him some perspective.

As he stepped outside, the cool evening breeze hit him, and for a moment, it felt like he could breathe again. The weight in his chest lightened, but it didn't disappear entirely. It was still there, lurking beneath the surface, a reminder of everything he was trying to avoid.

He wandered down the street, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. The sky was turning shades of pink and orange, and for a brief second, Jake wished he could freeze this moment in time-stay here, where things were simple, where he didn't have to make a choice.

But life didn't work like that.

The truth was, he didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Pretending like he didn't want more, pretending like he wasn't in love with Ava-it was starting to wear him down. And sooner or later, something would have to give.

As he turned the corner, Jake realized he was no closer to finding answers. All he knew was that the pull toward Ava was stronger than it had ever been, and no matter how hard he tried to fight it, he was already too far gone.