Adrian stayed in the garden long after Elena walked back inside. The night had fully settled, heavy and blue, but his thoughts were nowhere near calm. Her last words kept circling him like silent ghosts.
"Sometimes… it's hard to watch things that aren't meant for you."
He had stood rooted to the ground, staring at the door she disappeared through. Something in her voice—soft, trembling, painfully resigned—had unsettled him in a way he didn't understand. He knew Elena. He had watched her, a young woman who smiled too easily, who hid her hurts too well. But tonight… tonight she sounded like someone who had given up on something she never said aloud.
Adrian didn't sleep much. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard her voice again and saw the glimmer of something unsaid. He kept asking himself what she meant and why it bothered him so much.
Why it hurt.
By morning, he still had no answer.
The sun was bright, sharp enough to warm the stones outside Elena's window. She sat on the cushioned seat of the wide window frame, hugging her knees to her chest, letting the soft afternoon wind brush against her face. People thought she liked sitting there because of the view, but truly… she just liked being somewhere no one expected anything from her.
For a full week she had lived like a ghost in her own home. Coming in late, leaving early, avoiding meals, avoiding Adrian's eyes, avoiding the rooms where Sienna's voice echoed too loudly with laughter. She breathed quietly, moved quietly, and existed quietly.
And nobody noticed.
Nobody except him… and even he didn't know what to do with that awareness.
She closed her eyes, letting the silence hold her for a moment—until the sudden rumble of car engines stirred the stillness. Elena turned her head and saw two sleek cars driving into the estate yard. Six people stepped out—three boys and three girls—laughing loudly, stretching their arms after the long ride.
Before she could pull the curtain back, she heard Sienna's delighted shriek.
"They're here!"
Elena exhaled deeply. Of course. The friends Sienna had mentioned at dinner. The friends who would fill the house with voices and presence and more eyes that would see things she didn't want seen.
Downstairs, the door burst open and Adrian stepped out to greet them. Elena watched through the glass as he hugged one of the guys tightly—broad-shouldered, tanned, wearing that careless grin old friends carried. Another boy clapped Adrian's back. The girls rushed toward Sienna, talking and squealing.
They were loud. Vibrant. Familiar.
A kind of world Elena never felt part of.
But she didn't look away. Maybe she wanted to see how Adrian's expression softened, how his smile widened around people who had known him long before she became a part of the picture. He looked… lighter. Relaxed. Happy.
It made something in her chest tighten painfully, but she didn't allow the feeling to fully form.
She had promised herself she would step back. Give space. Disappear where needed.
Her phone buzzed on her lap.
She blinked and picked it up. The name flashing on screen softened her expression.
James (Uni)
She answered quietly.
"Elena," he greeted gently. "Are you free? I really need the notes from yesterday's class. The professor rushed through everything, and I'm lost as hell."
Elena smiled lightly. "I have them. But don't come here. I'll meet you outside. Maybe at the café near the main road?"
"Perfect. Text me when you leave," James said.
When she hung up, she stood from the window, brushed down her dress, and grabbed her bag. She needed to get out—just for a little while.
The loud laughter downstairs grew clearer with every step she took. She didn't want to interrupt or be noticed, but life rarely listened to what she wanted.
She stepped into the main hall just when Adrian was introducing one of his friends to Sienna's group. The moment he turned, he saw her.
His breath paused.
"Elena," he said, voice warm but cautious—as if afraid she'd vanish again.
She stopped, her polite mask snapping instantly into place. "Yes?"
"Come here," he said gently, gesturing her over.
She hesitated—but refusing would draw more attention. So she walked forward.
Adrian smiled and placed a hand lightly on the shoulder of a tall, fair-haired guy.
"This is Ethan," he said. "One of my closest friends from before I moved."
Ethan extended a friendly hand. "Hey. You must be Elena. Adrian used to talk about you two a lot."
Elena shook his hand politely. "Nice to meet you."
Sienna stepped beside Adrian, linking her arm with his, smiling proudly as if claiming her place openly. Elena felt her throat tighten but forced a small smile anyway.
Adrian noticed the stiffness, the quietness, and the distance—but before he could say anything, he saw her bag.
"You're going out?" he asked, brows knitting slightly.
"Yes," she replied smoothly.
"Where?"
"To meet James."
The name hit him like a stone.
Adrian's expression froze instantly. "James?" he repeated, voice lower. "As in… the same Boy?"
She nodded once. "Yes. Same, Boy."
Silence fell for a heartbeat.
Sienna's eyes suddenly gleamed with interest—and something else.
Adrian opened his mouth again, but Elena lifted her hand, stopping him gently.
"You should stay with your friends," she said softly, almost kindly. "And your girlfriend."
The last word hit him harder than it should have.
She didn't wait for his reaction. She turned around and walked toward the door with quiet grace.
Adrian remained frozen, confused, unsettled, and strangely hurt.
Why did it bother him that she said it that way?
Why did it feel like she had pushed him away deliberately, finally drawing a line he couldn't cross?
And why did the name James suddenly feel like a threat?
Sienna, clinging to his arm, frowned at his expression.
"Why do you look like that?" she asked, voice sharp with suspicion.
But Adrian didn't have an answer.
Because he didn't know why himself.
The house was louder than usual that evening—music playing from the living room, friends laughing, voices echoing through the halls. But Adrian heard none of it. His mind kept wandering back to the last ten minutes, to the moment Elena said she was going to meet James.
James.
The name tasted wrong even in his own head.
He stood near the window, pretending to listen to the boys discuss their plans for the week, but his eyes kept drifting outside toward the driveway where Elena had disappeared. His chest felt strangely tight, a pressure that only grew heavier.
Ethan—observant as always—finally caught the shift in him.
"Hey," Ethan nudged him lightly. "You look like someone told you your car blew up."
"I'm fine," Adrian said too quickly.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "So fine you're staring into space like a widowed poet?"
Adrian shot him a glare, but Ethan only laughed before hooking an arm around him and dragging him toward the back doors.
"Let's get some air. Before you combust."
Adrian didn't fight it. Truthfully, he needed the escape.
The pool lights shimmered across the water, casting soft ripples across the tiled ground. It was quiet here—finally quiet. Adrian inhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. Ethan leaned against the railing, watching him with folded arms.
"Alright," Ethan said plainly. "Talk."
"There's nothing to—"
"Adrian."
Ethan's tone sharpened. "I've known you for nine years. Don't insult me."
Adrian clenched his jaw, struggling for words.
"She went to meet him," he muttered finally.
"Who? The James guy?"
Ethan's expression was amused at first—until he noticed the seriousness in Adrian's face. Then his smile slowly faded.
"Oh," Ethan said. "So… that bothers you."
"It doesn't—"
"Adrian."
He dropped heavily onto one of the lounge chairs, pressing his hands over his face.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," he said into his palms. "I came here with a plan. A clear plan."
Ethan sat beside him. "You came here because you wanted to ask Sienna's father for her hand. You told me yourself—she's the girl you've been with for years."
"I know," Adrian whispered.
"And? Has something changed?"
Adrian lowered his hands slowly. His eyes looked troubled—raw in a way Ethan had never seen.
"It's Elena."
Ethan blinked. "Elena? Sienna's little sister?"
He nodded once, and something in his chest twisted as he admitted it.
"I feel… something. Something I can't explain. Something I never expected."
Ethan's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt.
"I've known her," Adrian continued. "I watched her. I should've seen her as family. As someone I protect because she's Sienna's sister."
"Should've," Ethan repeated carefully.
"But lately… every time she avoids me, it bothers me. When she looks tired, it gets to me. When she smiles at someone else—especially today—it's like something punches me from the inside."
Ethan swallowed. "That's not… nothing, Adrian."
Adrian looked down at the water, watching his reflection distort with each ripple.
"When she walked out earlier," he murmured, "and said she was meeting James… I felt something I've never felt for Sienna."
"What something?"
"Fear," Adrian whispered.
"Jealousy."
A breath.
"Possessiveness."
Then even softer—
"Pain."
Ethan sat straighter, staring at him.
Adrian shook his head helplessly.
"I tried ignoring it. I kept telling myself she's just younger, that I'm protective because I care about her family. But tonight… when she looked at me and said 'your girlfriend'—like she was reminding herself to stay away—do you know what I felt?"
Ethan shook his head.
"Like she was shutting a door I didn't realize I wanted open."
Silence stretched between them.
The sound of water lapping against the pool edge filled the air. Adrian stared at it like it held answers.
"I was going to propose to Sienna," he whispered. "I came here fully ready. I even rehearsed what I'd say to her father."
"I know," Ethan said gently.
"But now…" Adrian pressed a hand to his chest. "Now I don't know what this is. I don't know why Elena's voice gets stuck in my head. Why her sadness feels like a weight on me. Why one name—James—makes me feel like I'm losing something I didn't even know was mine."
Ethan exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing with thought.
"And Sienna?" Ethan asked quietly.
Adrian looked away. "She's… important to me. We've been through years together. But I don't feel this way when she walks out. I don't feel panic when she talks to someone else. I care about her, but it's not…"
He trailed off.
"Not what?" Ethan pressed.
"Not this," Adrian whispered.
Ethan studied him for a long moment.
"You're afraid," he said finally.
"Of what?"
"That may be you love Elena."
Adrian's breath caught.
He opened his mouth to deny it—but no words came. And that silence was louder than any admission.
Ethan leaned back, letting out a low whistle.
"Well," he murmured. "That explains your face."
Adrian closed his eyes, guilt crashing into him.
"It's wrong," he said. "She's Sienna's sister."
"Love doesn't check calendars or family trees, Adrian," Ethan said softly. "It just happens. And… listening to you? I don't hear confusion."
Adrian's breath trembled.
"I hear a man in love," Ethan finished.
Adrian felt his heartbeat stutter—fast, painful, undeniable.
He didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
Because for the first time, Adrian realized Ethan was right.
May be
Or
No