Hearts in Bloom

Chapter 15

Aria's phone buzzed in her pocket as she hurried down the hallway of the university's auditorium, her heart racing as she glanced at the time. The drama play was about to begin, and her nerves were already getting the best of her. She'd been cast as the female lead—a princess in a romantic fantasy—while Lucas Carter, a senior in the computer science department, played the role of the prince. He was confident, charming, and undeniably attractive, and they'd been rehearsing together for weeks.

Her phone buzzed again, and she finally pulled it out, seeing Tobias' name flash across the screen. A big smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It had been days since they last spoke, and although she tried to brush off the silence, it had begun to gnaw at her. They were both busy, she knew that—she with her demanding university life, and Tobias with his final year of high school—but that didn't stop the ache of missing him.

"Hey, Toby," she answered, stepping into a quieter corner backstage. She could hear the faint murmur of the audience gathering on the other side of the curtain.

"Hey, Aria," his voice came through, warm but quieter than usual. "How's it going?"

Aria leaned against the wall, trying to push aside the feelings of frustration that bubbled beneath the surface. "Busy," she admitted. "I've got this drama play starting in, like, ten minutes. I'm the lead. But I'm felling kinda nervous right now. And also I'm missing you a lot now." She laughed, but it sounded a little strained even to her.

"Don't be nervous Ari. I'm sure the drama would go smoothly. Also, I'm missing you too." Tobias replied, but she could sense a distance in his tone, as if he wasn't really present in the conversation. "You're going to be great, like always."

Aria paused, frowning slightly. "Yeah, I hope so. It's been crazy over here with rehearsals and classes, but I haven't heard from you much lately." The words slipped out before she could stop them, her voice soft but tinged with the hurt she'd been trying to suppress.

There was a brief silence on the other end. Tobias seemed to hesitate, and when he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost guarded. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just... things have been a bit overwhelming on my end too, with school and all that."

Aria bit her lip, feeling a mix of emotions she wasn't sure how to sort through. She understood that he was busy, but it didn't stop the sting of feeling like he wasn't making as much of an effort.

Before she could respond, a familiar voice broke through her thoughts.

"Aria!" It was Lucas, his voice filled with enthusiasm. He appeared at the edge of the backstage area, dressed in his prince costume which perfectly matched Aria's princess costume, looking every bit the part. "We need to start getting ready. The play is about to begin."

Aria glanced over at him, nodding, and raised a finger to indicate she'd be there in a minute. But before she could answer Tobias, Mia's voice rang out from across the room.

"Aria, your prince charming is calling you!" Mia teased with a smirk, winking at her as she passed by, holding a clipboard filled with costume notes for her fashion design project. "Hurry up, you don't want to keep him waiting!"

Aria felt her face flush slightly at Mia's comment, and she laughed awkwardly, waving her off. But on the other end of the line, Tobias had gone silent.

"Who was that?" Tobias asked, his tone suddenly sharper, a hint of something unfamiliar creeping into his voice.

Aria blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Oh, that was just Mia being, well, Mia. The prince is Lucas—he's playing opposite me in the drama. No big deal."

"Lucas, huh?" Tobias said, his voice quieter now, but there was a note of something unmistakable—jealousy. It was the first time she had ever heard it from him, and it surprised her.

"Yeah," Aria said, sensing the shift. "He's cool, but it's just a play, Tobias. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," he replied, but the hesitation in his voice was clear. "It's just... I didn't know you were spending so much time with this Lucas guy."

Aria sighed, glancing at the clock. She didn't have time for this conversation, not now. "Tobias, it's really nothing. We're both busy, and I'm just trying to do well in school and this play holds 10 points. Can we talk about this later? I really have to go, the play's starting."

There was another pause, and then Tobias finally spoke, his voice subdued. "Yeah, sure. We'll talk later."

"Okay," Aria said softly, the unease still lingering in the air between them. "Take care, Tobias."

"You too," he replied, and then the line went dead.

Aria stared at her phone for a moment, a hollow feeling settling in her chest. She didn't like how the conversation had ended, but there was no time to dwell on it. With a deep breath, she tucked her phone back into her bag and turned toward Lucas, who was waiting for her, his princely outfit gleaming under the dim backstage lights.

"Ready, princess?" Lucas asked, offering her a playful smile.

Aria forced a smile in return, trying to push her thoughts of Tobias to the back of her mind. "Yeah, let's do this."

---

The play went off without a hitch, and Aria threw herself into her role, determined to focus on the task at hand. Lucas was a natural on stage, and their chemistry was undeniable, but even as they exchanged lines and performed romantic scenes, her mind kept wandering back to Tobias.

After the final curtain call, Lucas caught up with her, grinning. "You were amazing, Aria. I think the audience is in love with you."

Aria laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, I think they're just in love with the prince."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, his expression softening. "Well, I think the prince might be in love with the princess."

Aria blinked, caught off guard by his words. "Lucas..."

He quickly smiled again, as if brushing off the seriousness. "Just kidding. But seriously, you did great tonight."

Aria smiled back, though her thoughts were elsewhere. As much as Lucas was charming and easy to be around, he wasn't the person she wanted to talk to right now. She wanted to talk to Tobias right now.

Later that night, as Aria sat alone in her dorm room, her phone remained frustratingly silent. She stared at it for a long time, willing Tobias to text her, to say something, anything to bridge the growing distance between them.

But the message never came.

---

Back home, Tobias sat in his room, staring at his own phone. He hadn't been able to shake the jealousy that flared when he heard about Lucas. It didn't make sense—Aria had been his best friend for years, and he trusted her completely. But the thought of her growing close to someone else besides her and Jaxon made him jealous. Especially a guy like Lucas, made his stomach twist.

He let out a long sigh, tossing his phone onto the bed. Maybe it was just the stress of everything—school, his feelings for Aria, the uncertainty of the future. But whatever it was, it was making him pull away, and he hated it.

Yet despite the frustration and jealousy, Tobias couldn't stop thinking about her.

And he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle watching her drift further away.

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My Random Silly Thoughts:

The Blanket Fort:
Kid: "I built a blanket fort!"
Sibling: "Cool! What's the theme?"
Kid: "The Royal Kingdom of Cozy!"
Sibling: "And what's the king's order?"
Kid: "Everyone must bring snacks or be banished to the living room!"
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