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Chapter17: The Spark of Conflict
Even though Erica told herself she didn't care, the truth was impossible to ignore.
Ever since she had overheard Cloud admitting that he liked Nicole, she couldn't stop thinking about it, no matter how much she tried. Although she had spent months convincing herself that she was moving on, hearing someone else—especially Cloud—say they wanted Nicole made her realize how deeply her feelings still ran.
Although she attempted to act normal the next day at school, she found herself stealing glances at Cloud across the cafeteria. Since he was laughing and talking as if nothing had changed, she couldn't understand how he could be so unaffected while she felt like her whole world had been shaken.
"You're staring," Risha muttered as she sipped her drink, clearly noticing Erica's distraction.
"I am not," Erica said, though she knew she was lying.
"You are," Risha insisted, raising an eyebrow. "And I know why."
Even though Erica didn't want to admit it, she sighed in frustration. "I heard him yesterday," she said quietly. "Cloud. At the café. He said he likes Nicole."
Risha studied her, her expression unreadable. "And why does that bother you so much?"
Although Erica wanted to deny it, she couldn't. Instead, she exhaled sharply. "Because it's Cloud," she said. "He was my friend. He knew how I felt about her."
"But," Risha said carefully, "does he know you still feel that way?"
The question made Erica freeze. Although she wanted to argue, she realized she had never actually told Cloud—or anyone else—that she was still in love with Nicole. Since she had spent so much time pretending she had moved on, she couldn't blame Cloud for believing it was true.
Even though Risha was right, it didn't make the situation hurt any less.
"I need to talk to him," Erica muttered, already standing.
"Erica—"
But before Risha could stop her, Erica was already walking toward Cloud's table. Since Cloud noticed her almost immediately, his relaxed smile faded as he saw the look on her face.
"Hey," he greeted cautiously.
"We need to talk," Erica said, keeping her voice steady.
Cloud hesitated, clearly uncertain, though he eventually nodded. "Uh… okay?"
"Outside," she added.
Something in her tone must have convinced him, because he sighed before standing up. Although he looked confused, he followed her out of the cafeteria.
Once they were alone in the hallway, Cloud leaned against the lockers while shoving his hands into his pockets. "Alright," he said. "What's going on?"
Even though Erica had been determined to confront him, she suddenly found it difficult to form the right words.
"I heard you," she said at last.
Cloud blinked. "What?"
"Yesterday," she clarified, crossing her arms. "At the café. I heard you talking about Nicole."
Cloud's shoulders tensed slightly, though he didn't deny it. "Yeah," he admitted. "I like her."
Although she had already known, hearing him confirm it made something inside her twist painfully.
"But why?" she asked, her voice quieter this time.
Cloud frowned, as if he didn't understand the question. "Because she's great, Erica. She's funny, smart, and—" He hesitated. "I don't know. There's just something about her."
"Something about her," Erica repeated bitterly, feeling her chest tighten.
Since Cloud gave her a confused look, he clearly hadn't expected her to react this way. "Why are you acting like this?" he asked.
"Because it's Nicole," Erica snapped, unable to hold back the frustration in her voice. "And because you were my friend, Cloud!"
Although Cloud sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, he didn't back down. "Erica, come on. You and Nicole broke up a long time ago."
"So?" she shot back, her heart pounding. "That doesn't mean—"
But she stopped herself before she could say the words aloud.
Since Cloud was watching her carefully, she could tell he had already figured it out.
"Erica," he said slowly, "are you still in love with her?"
Even though she wanted to lie, she couldn't force herself to say no.
When she remained silent, Cloud exhaled. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, his voice softer now.
Although she wanted to believe him, she couldn't.
Because it still hurt.
And she didn't know how to make it stop.