Chapter 22:The Heart’s Crossroads

The days after the rehearsal incident with Ryan and Natalie felt like they stretched on endlessly. Celeste had hoped it would all fade away, that the tension between her and Ryan, and the constant presence of Natalie, would dissipate. But it didn't. If anything, things only seemed to get more complicated.

Every time she saw Ryan, her heart skipped a beat, but every time she tried to approach him, she felt like something had changed. He wasn't the same. The spark between them, the one that had always been there, seemed to flicker out the moment Natalie stepped into the room.

It was almost as if he had pulled away from her without saying a word. And Celeste hated herself for feeling hurt by it. Why should she care? Ryan wasn't hers, and Natalie wasn't just anyone. She was always there, always watching, always waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And Celeste could feel it—Natalie was getting closer to Ryan.

The Jealousy Burns

Celeste could feel the heat of Natalie's jealousy every time she and Ryan rehearsed their scenes. There was no denying it. Every time Celeste and Ryan had a moment, even the smallest interaction, Natalie's icy glare followed them, and Celeste was beginning to feel it more and more.

It was hard to focus on the play, to focus on her lines, when her mind was constantly consumed by everything happening outside of it. And that look—the one Ryan had given her, when he told her he liked her—kept echoing in her thoughts. He hadn't taken it back, and yet, everything felt so different now.

Was he still feeling the same way, or had it just been a moment of weakness? Was he regretting it now, especially after what Natalie said?

A Small Glimpse of Hope

Celeste was walking to her locker one afternoon, trying to keep her mind off the chaos, when she heard a familiar voice.

"Celeste!"

She turned and saw Ryan standing by the lockers, a slight smile on his face. It was a little more sincere than the strained expressions he'd been giving her lately, but still not the same as before.

"Hey," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Ryan leaned against the locker next to hers. "Can we talk?"

Celeste's heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched in her throat. "Sure," she said, though she had no idea what he wanted to talk about.

"Alone," he added, glancing around nervously.

Celeste's stomach churned. She didn't know if she was ready for this conversation. Not with everything that had happened.

She nodded, leading him out of the hallway and into the empty courtyard. The two of them stood there, the tension hanging between them.

Ryan took a deep breath. "I know things have been… off lately. I know I've been distant."

Celeste felt a pang of frustration. You think? She wanted to snap at him, but instead, she stayed quiet.

"I don't want you to think I'm ignoring you or… or that I don't care," he continued. "Because I do. I really do."

Celeste couldn't help but feel a little hopeful, but the doubt was still there, gnawing at the back of her mind. "Then why have you been so distant? I don't understand."

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, a sign of frustration. "It's… complicated, Celeste. It's just hard, okay? Between you, me, and… everything else." He glanced around, lowering his voice. "It's not that I don't want to be close to you. It's just—Natalie."

Celeste's chest tightened. "What about her?"

Ryan sighed. "She's been… acting weird. She's been getting into my head, making everything so much harder than it has to be."

Celeste swallowed hard. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"Everything," Ryan said, his eyes meeting hers. "I can't keep pretending I'm okay with how she's been treating you. I know she's been trying to make you feel like you don't belong. And I hate it. But I don't know how to stop it."

Celeste's head was spinning. She was trying to make sense of his words, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "So, you're saying it's because of her that you've been distant?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. But that's not the whole reason. I… I've been scared. Scared of messing things up. I don't want to hurt you, Celeste. I don't want to make things worse between us."

Celeste's heart ached at his words. Was he really this confused? She wanted to tell him everything, to tell him that she liked him too, that she didn't care about Natalie's games. But the words got stuck in her throat.

"So… what now?" Celeste asked quietly, her eyes searching his face for any sign of clarity.

Ryan reached out, gently touching her arm. "I just want to be honest with you. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want to hurt myself either." He paused, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "I care about you, Celeste. A lot."

The simple words hit her harder than she expected. But before she could respond, a voice called out from the other side of the courtyard.

"Ryan."

Celeste froze. She didn't have to look to know who it was. It was Natalie. She could see her figure approaching in the corner of her eye, walking with that dangerous confidence she carried so effortlessly.

Ryan stepped back, clearly frustrated. "Not now, Natalie."

But Natalie didn't stop. "Oh, I think now's the perfect time, don't you think?"

Celeste wanted to disappear. She didn't want to be a part of whatever was about to unfold. But she stood her ground, forcing herself to face Natalie as she walked up to them, a sly smile on her lips.

"Are you two having a private conversation?" Natalie asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ryan exhaled sharply. "What do you want, Natalie?"

"I think it's pretty clear what I want," Natalie said, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think you belong here, Celeste."

Celeste's stomach turned. She couldn't believe this was happening—again.

Natalie stepped closer to Ryan, leaning in with a false sweetness in her voice. "Ryan, maybe it's time to realize where your loyalties really lie."

Celeste felt the bitterness rise in her throat. Loyalties? Was this really happening?

Ryan stood between them, his eyes shifting between Celeste and Natalie. "I'm not playing this game anymore, Natalie," he said, his voice low but firm. "I'm done."

Natalie's face faltered for a second, but her smile quickly returned, more forced than before. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

She turned and stormed off, her heels clicking against the pavement. Celeste watched her go, her heart heavy with the weight of the moment.

When she turned back to Ryan, he was standing there, looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite read.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, his voice quiet.

Celeste took a deep breath. "I don't care about Natalie, Ryan. I care about us."

Ryan met her gaze. "Then let's stop pretending. Let's stop letting everyone else get in the way."

Celeste smiled. It was small, but it was genuine. "I think I'd like that."

To Be Continued…