Against the Tide

Chapter 14 - Between the Lines

Lily acted as if nothing had changed. She smiled when Adam approached her, laughed at his jokes, and thanked him every time he handed her a flower or her favorite chocolate. But Adam wasn't fooled. He could feel the difference between them growing, an invisible line he'd drawn to protect them both—her from heartbreak, and himself from falling too deep. He wasn't sure how long he could hold on without hurting himself.

At school, Adam became more reserved, keeping his interactions with Lily lighthearted but brief. The tension gnawed at him, and he finally decided he couldn't stay silent anymore. Savannah had been a close friend to both of them, so Adam cornered her between classes, his frustration evident in the furrow of his brow.

"Did you know?" Adam asked, his voice low but intense, as he pulled her aside near the lockers.

Savannah blinked at him, caught off guard. "Know what?"

"About Lily. About her feelings for Gregory. Did you know?" he repeated, his voice shaking with anger now.

Savannah's eyes widened, then she sighed, her shoulders slumping as she realized what he was getting at. "Adam, I—"

"You did," Adam said, cutting her off, his voice hard. "You knew all along, didn't you? And you didn't tell me?"

Savannah shifted uncomfortably. "Look I didn't think it was my place to—"

"You knew I liked her! I asked you before I even told her how I felt, Sav!" Adam's voice cracked, betraying the hurt that was clawing at him. "You could've told me. You could've stopped me from—"

"I'm sorry, " Savannah said, her own frustration bubbling up. "I didn't know how to handle it. I thought maybe she'd get over it, or maybe things would just... sort themselves out."

Adam ran a hand through his hair, his chest heaving with emotion. "Well, they didn't sort themselves out, did they? Now, I'm stuck here, trying to figure out what to do with all this... with her... with us. And all this time, you just kept quiet."

Savannah reached out, her hand touching his arm softly. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry, Adam. Really. I didn't know it would hurt you this much."

Adam shook his head and pulled away, the anger and hurt still raw. "I told you because I trusted you. And now... now I don't know if I can keep doing this." He exhaled, his words heavy as he walked away. She doesn't feel the same way about me. She never did."

Savannah's mind was racing as she made her way to the bathroom, determined to find Lily. She'd just learned too much, and the anger at being kept in the dark burned in her chest. She pushed open the door and found Lily standing by the sinks, lost in thought.

"Lily," Savannah said sharply, making Lily jump.

"Hey, what's up?" Lily asked, blinking, trying to sound normal, though her voice was soft, defeated.

Savannah didn't mince words. "What were you thinking?"

Lily stared at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Gregory! What the hell, Lily? Adam told me everything!" Savannah's voice was harsh, filled with worry and a hint of betrayal.

At the mention of Gregory's name, Lily's heart plummeted. She opened her mouth to explain, but no words came. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her emotions crashing over her like waves. She sank to the floor, her back against the cold bathroom wall, shaking her head. "I... I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Savannah's anger melted as she saw Lily crumble before her. She knelt down beside her, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry," Savannah said, her voice softening. "I didn't mean to yell. I just... I'm worried about you."

Lily sobbed into her hands, shaking with the weight of everything she'd been holding in. "I'm so stupid, Sav. I don't even know what's wrong with me. I went to him, I told him... I love him, and he just... he rejected me." Her voice broke with each word, and Savannah's heart clenched.

"Gregory?" Savannah asked, feeling the shock hit her again.

Lily nodded, tears streaking down her face. "I don't know what to do. I keep thinking about him, about everything. Adam's so sweet, he's perfect, but... but Gregory—"

Savannah held her tighter, stroking her hair. "Oh, Lil, you've got to move on. Gregory's not... He's your stepdad. This can't work. But Adam—"

"I know!" Lily interrupted, her voice raw. "I know Adam is amazing, and I should love him, but I can't stop thinking about Gregory. I compare everything Adam does to him. And it's not fair. It's not fair to Adam, or to me." She wiped her eyes angrily. "I just don't know how to stop feeling like this."

Savannah sighed, her heart heavy. "You've got to try, Lily. You're hurting yourself more than anyone. And you're hurting Adam without even realizing it."

Lily leaned into her friend, feeling exhausted and lost. "I know. But I'm so confused. I don't want to push Adam away, but I can't stop thinking about Gregory. It's like he's in my head, all the time, and I hate it."

Savannah pulled back, looking into Lily's tear-streaked face. "Lily, listen to me. You've fallen for the one person you shouldn't have. You know that, right?"

Lily nodded, her lips trembling as the realization set in. "Yeah," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I know."

Later that day, Adam watched Lily from across the room during History class. She was distant, her eyes dull, like she was lost in another world. Every time he saw her like this, his heart broke a little more. He hated seeing her in pain, especially knowing he couldn't fix it.

After class, Adam hurried to Lily's locker, hoping she hadn't changed the lock pattern. He opened it and slipped a small teddy bear and a bar of her favorite chocolate inside, hoping to lift her spirits, even just a little. Then, with a mischievous grin, he donned a fake mustache and waited behind the lockers.

When Lily approached her locker, she opened it and gasped, her face lighting up at the sight of the teddy bear. She turned around, and Adam leaped out, doing a ridiculous accent. "Madam, please do not make that face—it makes you look, how do you say, the ugliest!"

Lily burst out laughing, her earlier sadness momentarily forgotten. "Adam, you idiot!" She playfully hit him on the arm.

He grinned, pleased to see her smile again. "Now, do not ruin the aura of this magnificent teddy bear with your gloomy energy, my lady. Take the happiness from the air!"

Lily laughed harder, shaking her head at his antics. "You're so weird, Adam."

He gave her a playful bow. "Weird? I prefer the term 'mysterious.'"

As they walked to her next class, Adam noticed the stares they were getting. He quickly realized he was still wearing the fake mustache and ripped it off, his face turning red as Lily giggled.

Outside her English class, Adam paused. "Meet me for lunch, yeah?"

Lily smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest that she hadn't felt in a while. "Yeah, I will."

As he watched her walk into her classroom, her face brighter than it had been all day, Adam made a silent promise to himself. No matter what happened, he would make sure she kept smiling—even if it wasn't in the way he'd hoped for. Even if it meant letting go.