A War He Didn’t See Coming

Caesar had never been good at handling jealousy.

He wasn't used to feeling replaced.

For years, he had been the one Blythe turned to. The one who made her laugh, who walked her home, who knew exactly how she liked her coffee.

Now?

Now, she was laughing with some guy on a motorcycle.

And the worst part?

She looked happy.

---

The next day, Caesar saw them together again.

Liam was leaning against Blythe's locker, arms crossed like he had every right to be there. Blythe was talking to him, her expression relaxed, like this was completely normal.

Like he was completely normal.

Like Caesar wasn't.

Something inside him snapped.

He didn't think—he just acted, stepping between them before he could stop himself.

Blythe blinked in surprise, her conversation with Liam immediately cut short. "Caesar?"

Caesar ignored her, looking directly at Liam. "What do you want?"

Liam smirked, clearly amused. "I think the question is, what do you want?"

Caesar's jaw tightened. "I don't like people wasting her time."

Blythe's eyes flashed with irritation. "Excuse me?"

Liam chuckled. "Relax, man. We're just talking."

Caesar hated how easygoing he sounded, like this wasn't a big deal.

Like he wasn't making Caesar feel like an outsider in his own story.

Blythe crossed her arms. "What is wrong with you?"

Caesar turned to her, exhaling sharply. "You tell me, Blythe. One minute, we're trying to fix things, and the next, you're riding off with him?"

Liam raised an eyebrow. "I'm right here, you know."

"Yeah, and I don't care," Caesar shot back.

Blythe groaned, rubbing her temples. "Oh my God, enough."

Caesar wasn't finished. "So, what? Is this your way of moving on? Finding someone else?"

Her expression darkened. "You don't get to be jealous."

"Why not?"

"Because you were the one who left first."

The words hit harder than he expected.

The hallway felt too quiet, like the whole school was waiting to see what he would do next.

Caesar swallowed, forcing himself to stay calm. "I know I messed up."

Blythe shook her head. "Yeah, you did."

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration boiling over. "Then let me fix it."

For the first time, something in her expression softened.

Liam, still leaning against the locker, sighed dramatically. "Wow. I feel like I'm in a movie."

Caesar shot him a glare. "Stay out of this."

Liam just smirked. "Not my fault you didn't realize what you had until someone else came along."

Caesar clenched his fists, but Blythe stepped in before he could do something really stupid.

"Enough," she said again, this time more tired than angry. "Caesar, I need time. You can't just show up and expect everything to go back to the way it was."

Caesar exhaled, his frustration deflating. "I just don't want to lose you."

Blythe looked at him for a long moment.

Then she sighed. "Then prove it."

And just like that, she turned and walked away.

Liam watched her go, then glanced at Caesar with a knowing smirk. "Better step up, man."

Caesar barely heard him.

Because for the first time, he understood.

This wasn't just about making things right.

This was a fight.

And he wasn't about to lose.