Chapter Five: Unspoken Truths

Ella's POV

Zack's text lingered on my phone screen, casting a long shadow over the perfect night I'd shared with Leo. My heart tugged in two directions—the warm, steady pull of something new and the familiar ache of a friendship that had always teetered on the edge of something more.

I sighed, pushing the thoughts aside as I typed back:

"What's going on?"

His reply was immediate:

"Just come over. Please."

There was a weight to his words I couldn't ignore. Zack never asked for anything, not like this. Part of me wanted to say no, to let him deal with whatever was bothering him on his own. But the part of me that had loved him silently for years couldn't resist.

"I'll be there soon," I murmured under my breath, grabbing my jacket.

Zack's penthouse was sprawling and modern, filled with sleek furniture and panoramic city views. Despite its grandeur, I always felt at home there, like it was an extension of the man himself—confident, successful, but strangely lonely beneath it all.

When he opened the door, his usual charm was nowhere to be seen. His eyes were tired, his hair disheveled. "Hey," he said quietly, stepping aside to let me in.

"Hey yourself." I hung my jacket on the back of a chair. "What's going on, Zack? You've been weird ever since the party."

He exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know, Ella. Everything's just… complicated."

"Complicated how?" I pressed, crossing my arms.

He paced the room, a restless energy radiating off him. "I've been thinking a lot. About us."

"Us?" My stomach twisted at the word. "What about us?"

"I feel like things are changing between us," he said, his voice strained. "And I'm not sure I like it."

I blinked, trying to process his words. "Zack, we've always been friends. Nothing's changed."

"That's the problem." He stopped pacing, his gaze locking onto mine. "Maybe I don't want things to stay the same anymore."

My breath caught. "What are you saying?"

"I don't know," he admitted, frustration creeping into his tone. "I just know I don't like seeing you with Leo."

"Zack." I shook my head, disbelief and anger mingling in my chest. "You don't get to do this. You've had years to tell me how you feel, and you never did. You change girlfriends like most people change clothes, and now you're upset because I'm moving on?"

His jaw clenched. "It's not that simple."

"Isn't it?" My voice rose, frustration spilling over. "You can't expect me to sit around forever hoping you'll notice me, Zack. I deserve more than that."

"I have noticed you," he shot back, stepping closer. "Maybe I was too stupid to admit it before, but I see it now. And it's killing me to think I might be too late."

The room crackled with tension, but I forced myself to hold my ground. "You are too late," I said quietly. "Leo sees me for who I am now, not some backup option when you decide you're ready."

His face twisted with something between pain and regret. "I never thought of you as a backup option, Ella."

"Then why are we having this conversation now?" I whispered. "Why not years ago?"

Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. The truth was, no matter what Zack said, the years of waiting and hoping had taken their toll on me. And now, with Leo in my life, I wasn't sure Zack's sudden revelation was enough to change that.

"I can't do this right now," I said, turning toward the door.

"Ella—"

"I need time," I cut him off, my voice firm but trembling. "You don't get to mess with my head like this after all these years. Figure yourself out, Zack. Then maybe we'll talk."

The city lights blurred as I made my way home, my thoughts a chaotic swirl of emotions. Zack's words echoed in my mind, colliding with the warmth Leo had ignited in me.

For years, I had dreamed of Zack finally seeing me, finally realizing I was more than just his best friend. And now that it had happened, I wasn't sure I wanted it anymore.

But beneath the anger and confusion, something darker simmered—a possessiveness I didn't want to admit. Zack couldn't interfere in my life now. Leo was mine, and no one—not even Zack—would take that from me.

That thought settled uncomfortably in my chest, but I ignored it. For now.

I needed to protect what I was building with Leo, no matter what it cost.

And no one, not Zack, not anyone, would stand in my way.