Millie hadn't been the same since that night.

  The kiss with Henry left her in a whirlwind of emotions. She loved Lucas—or at least, she thought she did. But why couldn’t she stop thinking about Henry’s confession? Why did her heart race whenever she saw him now?

  Lucas noticed the change.

  At first, he brushed it off. But as days turned into weeks, Millie’s distant behavior started getting to him.

  ---

  Lucas’s Jealousy Grows

  One afternoon, the group met at The Maple Brew as usual. Millie sat quietly, stirring her iced coffee, her mind elsewhere.

  Henry sat across from her, stealing glances, guilt eating him up. He wanted to apologize, but every time he opened his mouth, the words wouldn’t come out.

  Lucas, on the other hand, sat beside Millie, arms crossed, clearly irritated.

  "Are you even listening to me?" Lucas snapped, making Millie jolt.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  She blinked. "Huh?"

  Lucas scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "You’ve been acting weird for weeks now, Millie. You barely text back, you cancel our dates… What’s going on?"

  Everyone fell silent. Even Emma and Charlotte exchanged nervous glances.

  Millie swallowed hard. "I—I’m just stressed."

  Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Stressed? Or is there something else?"

  Henry tensed, suddenly feeling like Lucas’s words were directed at him.

  Before Millie could respond, Lucas grabbed her hand. "Let’s go. I don’t want to talk about this in front of everyone."

  Millie hesitated but nodded, letting him pull her away.

  ---

  A Heated Argument

  Outside, Lucas didn’t hold back.

  "Tell me the truth, Millie," he demanded. "Are you avoiding me?"

  Millie sighed. "Lucas, I just need space. Can we not do this right now?"

  Lucas let out a bitter laugh. "Space? Funny how you need space from me, but not from Henry."

  Millie froze. "What?"

  "You think I don’t see it? The way he looks at you? The way you get all weird when he’s around?" Lucas stepped closer. "Did something happen between you two?"

  Millie’s heart pounded. She didn’t want to talk about that night—especially not now.

  "You’re being ridiculous," she said, shaking her head.

  Lucas clenched his jaw. "Am I?"

  Before she could respond, he turned and stormed off.

  Millie sighed, rubbing her temples. Something told her this was only the beginning of their problems.

  ---

  Henry’s Regret

  Back inside, Henry watched as Millie walked away with Lucas. He had a sinking feeling in his chest.

  "This is my fault," he muttered.

  Emma frowned. "Henry, don’t—"

  "No, seriously," he interrupted. "She’s been acting different ever since that night. I—I shouldn’t have kissed her."

  Oliver exhaled. "Dude, you were honest about your feelings. That’s not a crime."

  "But look at her!" Henry ran a hand through his hair. "She’s pulling away from everyone. And I know it’s because of me."

  Charlotte placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe she just needs time to figure things out."

  Henry shook his head. "Or maybe she just needed me to stay quiet."

  And for the first time, he truly regretted what he had done.

  ---

  To Be Continued…