Between us
001: Unexpected betrayal
Lila's POV
"I should have known better."
"I really should have known better."
Lila said as she dropped down on the couch after school with a heavy heart. She picked up her phone and went through her old pictures with Ethan.
The memories came back like the trailer of a movie, they reminded her of the things she wasn't supposed to feel anymore. Her fingers froze on the screen, her mind had wandered far away she couldn't stop thinking about that night.
This wasn't just any night it was her anniversary with Ethan, the only boy she has ever been romantically attracted to.
She walked in to Ethan's door wide open
"That's unlike him," she muttered while her eyes gazed around the room wondering where he could be with the door wide open
"I want you so bad Ethan". A voice came from behind the curtains leading to the balcony. " Is that…..Evelyn?" She would recognize that voice anywhere.
Her best friend.
Her mind was already making scenarios of things she didn't want to believe" Maybe I'm just hearing things" she whispered to herself.
Her chest tightened, her feet moved slowly towards the curtains. Her fingers trembled as they slowly brushed against the curtains.
Ethan stood there with a tight grip on Evelyn's waist like he had missed it for a long time.
Evelyn's Arms were wrapped around his neck, her lips locked on his like they belonged there
And Ethan….He wasn't pulling away.
He looked like he enjoyed every bit of it, from the way he pulled her closer it was obvious.
The soft moan from both of them broke her heart into pieces.
"Ethan" Lila struggled to let the name out of her mouth, Her voice cracked, she could feel the lump in her throat, her vision blurred with tears.
Ethan broke the kiss, his eyes followed the voice straight to the curtains.
And there she was
The girl he had promised forever. His eyes locked with hers, searching for the right words even though they couldn't undo what she just saw.
Lila turned around and walked away without a word.
Ethan opened his mouth to call out to her but she had already left, he took a few steps towards the room.
"Ethan… I'm still here for you," Evelyn said, holding him from behind, holding him close, feeling no remorse — showing how possessive she had become of him.
A loud knock on the door brought Lila back to reality.
Her heart pounding to the unexpected knock on the door, She stood up immediately wondering who it could be.
She pulled the door open and was stunned by who she saw — The least expected person, Ethan.
"What an unpleasant surprise I have here" Lila's voice became cold, "What do you want?" The bitterness in her tone was clear.
"Lila….I can explain."
She let out a bitter laugh
"Explain what, exactly?"
How you were locking lips with my best friend on our anniversary….or how you've been lying to me all along.
"Lila…please." He moved towards her and she moved back immediately.
Ethan was quiet. He moved towards her again, "Don't," she said sharply.
"I trusted you, Ethan"
"You don't understand," Ethan said quickly.
Lila's chest tightened and tears began to build up in her eyes. "Then make me understand."
"I'm sorry Lila…please, it wasn't my intention to hurt you"
Just…leave, did you hear me?, I said go.. Lila said with a high tone, she didn't want to hear anything he had to say.
It was a Thursday morning in school and Lila was going down the school hallway still replaying everything from that night in her head
"Lila" A voice called from behind,she didn't need to turn to know who it was
Evelyn.
Lila turned even in her pain and looked at Evelyn dead in the eyes.
Evelyn stood there with a sharp smirk on her face, looking completely unbothered about how she hurt her best friend.
She took a step forward and said "Sorry I just wanted to let you know how sweet and loving he is, and how funny it is for him to choose me. Hmm…I guess we are just a perfect match."
Lila stared at her ex-best friend in disbelief, the stiff look on her face turned into anger
"I can't believe you, Evelyn, My best friend. Of all people"
Her tone changed, sharp and cold
"Wipe that smirk off your face Evelyn. It won't last long."
She took a step closer to Evelyn, her eyes burning with anger.
"And maybe you should deal with your attachment issues, because you seriously need to stay the hell away from me…I don't need updates on your relationship."
After school Lila is back home trying to find her peace but the notification from her phone keeps coming in constantly.
She picks up her phone from the side of her bed to check what it was.
Messages, replies, mentions.
She saw her name and her heart began to race
"What's going on?"
She tapped on the school group chat and froze from the shock of what she saw.
A video.
Her heart almost stopped as she pressed play.
Her voice came from the screen.
It was the moment from the hallway with Evelyn. The argument
She felt her stomach cramped
"No… no, no…." she said as she stood up from the bed going through the messages
"She got cheated on? Jezz."
"That's so embarrassing."
"Evelyn is so wrong for that."
"Weren't they besties?"
"She's so dumb, she can't keep a man."
Lila's vision blurred with tears.
It felt like the entire world was against her, judging her and bringing back her worst moments.
A lot of things rushed her mind at once, how she would go to school the next day, how she would face her classmates, but just one thought was louder than the rest —Everyone knows.
The fault wasn't from her but from Ethan and Evelyn but she was being judged.
She stood up to lock the door behind her not wanting her parents to notice she was crying.
Her alarm rang the next morning, she almost flew out of bed as if she was having a nightmare.
She was already traumatized from what happened the previous night plus the betrayal.
She got ready for school, she just had to go, she had to face everyone in school.
She reached the school hallway, her heart was beating fast. She approached students who were already whispering.
Fingers were pointing, people were judging, but she walked past without a word straight to class.
She sat down and brought out a book pretending to study.
"You okay?" A deep voice from right beside her asked.
She looked up, it was a tall guy with dark hair that fell slightly over his forehead, pretty brown eyes and thin lips.
002:
He was her classmate, a guy who she only noticed a few times but never knew him, not even his name.
"Yes I'm good" Lila responded with a low tone and fake smile.
"Sorry about what happened…"
She didn't let him complete his sentence when she sharply said "oh no it's fine…you don't have to."
He tilted his head and smiled. "Yeah I don't think anyone would be fine after a video as such."
Lila went stiff and quiet. "What do you want?"
"Oh don't worry I'm not here to judge." he said sweetly."
She closed the book and put it aside. "Then why are you talking to me?"
"I just felt you needed company." He said confidently.
"Well..I don't, thank you."
The bell for the first period rings. "We'll catch up later I guess" He said before he returned back to his seat.
She didn't say a word. But she didn't stop thinking about how nice and calm he was.
It was break time but she was alone in class and scared to go to the cafeteria.
She took her book to read as everyone was leaving the class.
"We can go with you if you are too scared."
She turned around and it was the guy from this morning.
Scared…? I'm not scared!!, and what are you? Some type of guardian or what? She said as she glanced at him
"Well no I'm not, but I figured I can accompany you. By the way my name is Maxwell, but you can call me Max for short."
He said as he extended a hand to shake her.
"My name is…"
"Lila. I know, I mean who doesn't know."
"Very funny" she said as she rolled her eyes.
"So are you coming or I should sit here with you." He extended a hand to help her up from the seat.
"You really don't have to, I'm fine here."
"I insist…please?"
"Ok fine…"
"After you" He hurriedly went over to open the door for her.
They walked side by side across the hallway. The whispers were coming in once again.
"Oh is she with someone else already?"
"Is that Maxwell?"
"No way she already moved on"
"She's so cheap"
"Maybe she cheated first"