𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴~ Lestappen

The Return of Shadows

Charles had never thought of himself as the jealous type. He’d always been easygoing, quick to laugh things off, and rarely let anything get under his skin. But today, something felt off. He couldn’t put his finger on it at first—just a feeling gnawing at the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t until Max’s ex-girlfriend showed up at their apartment that the sinking sensation really hit him.

He hadn’t even known Max had an ex-girlfriend still in the picture. Max had mentioned her in passing once, in that casual, nonchalant way Max talked about most things from his past, like it didn’t really matter anymore. But now she was here, standing in the doorway, smiling at Max like nothing had changed.

“Hey, Max,” she said, her voice soft but full of familiarity. The kind of familiarity that made Charles’s chest tighten.

Max, to his credit, looked completely stunned. “Emma? What are you… doing here?”

Emma gave a small shrug, her smile still lingering. “I’m in town for a few days. Thought I’d drop by and say hi. It’s been a while.”

Charles stood frozen in the living room, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the scene unfold. He tried to tell himself it was no big deal. She was just a part of Max’s past. Nothing to worry about. But the way Max’s expression softened when he saw her made Charles’s pulse race for all the wrong reasons.

“Yeah, it has been a while,” Max replied, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, but there was something in his voice that Charles couldn’t ignore. An ease, a comfort that hadn’t been there in a long time.

Charles knew he should walk away, give them space, but his feet wouldn’t move. Instead, he stood there like a silent observer, an outsider looking in on something that felt far too intimate for his liking. The air between Max and Emma seemed to hum with unresolved history, and Charles felt like he was intruding on something he was never meant to witness.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Max said, glancing over at Charles for a split second, as if suddenly realizing his presence. “Uh, Charles, this is Emma.”

Charles forced a polite smile, though it felt like it was cracking around the edges. “Hey, nice to meet you,” he said, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him.

Emma smiled back, that easy, confident smile of someone who knew where she stood. “Nice to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Charles nodded, but his mind was already spinning. What had she heard? How much had Max told her? And why did it feel like Charles was the odd one out, like he didn’t belong in this moment at all?

“I, uh… I should probably head out,” Charles muttered, suddenly desperate for an excuse to leave. The walls felt like they were closing in on him, the tension too thick to breathe through.

Max frowned, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. “You don’t have to go, Charles. She’s just here for a bit—”

But Charles was already moving, grabbing his jacket from the chair. “No, it’s fine. I’ve got some stuff to do anyway.”

Before Max could protest, Charles was out the door, the sound of their voices muffled behind him as he stepped into the hallway. His heart was racing, his mind spinning with thoughts he didn’t want to face. He felt ridiculous—jealous, insecure, and worse, vulnerable in a way that terrified him.

As he walked through the empty streets, the cold autumn air biting at his skin, Charles couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d just seen something that wasn’t meant for him. Max and Emma had a history, one that he couldn’t compete with. And the way they’d looked at each other, the way Max’s voice softened when he spoke to her—it was like a ghost from Max’s past had walked in and taken back a piece of him.

For the first time since they’d started whatever it was between them, Charles felt like maybe Max had never truly been his. Not fully, anyway. Maybe he was just the placeholder, the guy who was there because it was convenient, but never the one who really mattered.

Charles swallowed hard, his chest aching with the weight of it all. He’d always known Max wasn’t the best at talking about feelings, but this? This felt like something deeper, like a reminder that no matter how close they’d gotten, there would always be parts of Max that Charles couldn’t reach.

He stopped by a park bench and sat down, staring blankly at the empty playground in front of him. The cool wind whipped through his hair, but he barely noticed. All he could think about was the look on Max’s face when Emma had shown up. It wasn’t that Max didn’t care about him—Charles knew he did. But it was that Emma was a part of Max’s past, a part that still had a hold on him, and Charles wasn’t sure how to compete with that.

Maybe he wasn’t supposed to compete. Maybe Max didn’t even know there was something to compete for.

Charles buried his face in his hands, trying to push down the overwhelming sadness creeping up inside him. He hated feeling like this—so unsure of where he stood, so unsure of everything.

After what felt like hours, he finally forced himself to stand up, his legs heavy as he made his way back to the apartment. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe he just needed to talk to Max, explain how he felt, and everything would be fine. But deep down, a part of him wasn’t so sure.

When he got back, the apartment was quiet. Max was sitting on the couch, looking anxious, his phone clutched in his hand. He glanced up as Charles walked in, relief washing over his face.

“Charles, I—” Max started, but Charles held up a hand.

“It’s fine,” Charles said, his voice steady but distant. “I’m just… tired.”

Max frowned, clearly sensing that something was off, but Charles didn’t give him the chance to say more. He disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it, his heart heavy.

As he stared at the ceiling, Charles couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Max had never really been his to begin with.

AGHHHHH ANOTHER CHAPTERR
genuine question guys would you like full on angst or cutsy angst which gets over like in 1 ch , cuz initially I made this book for funsies sooo tell mee
ILYYY BYE MWAH