Brown had never been the type to hide his intentions. Once he set his mind on something or in this case, someone he went after it with the same boldness that often got him in trouble. Ruth, however, was different. She wasn't just any girl on campus who could be charmed with jokes and persistence. She was close to Dav. And for Brown, that complicated things.
That was how, one afternoon, he found himself walking beside Dav across the campus lawns, speaking words Dav wasn't prepared to hear.
"Dav," Brown began, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I need your help with something."
Dav glanced at him, suspicious already. "Help? With what?"
"With Ruth," Brown said bluntly.
The name alone was enough to set Dav's chest tight, but he kept his face neutral. "Ruth? What about her?"
Brown gave a half-smile. "You know I like her. I've liked her for a while now. And since you're the closest to her, I thought maybe you could… I don't know… put in a good word for me. Help me win her over."
Dav's steps slowed. He blinked, unsure he'd heard right. "You want me to help you chase Ruth?"
"Exactly," Brown said, nodding enthusiastically. "Look, you know how girls are. If you vouch for me, if you tell her I'm serious, she'll give me a chance. She trusts you."
Dav laughed, but it was hollow, forced. He shoved his hands deeper into his jeans pockets, trying to mask the storm building inside him. "Brown, I don't think it works like that."
"Come on, man," Brown pressed. "You're my guy. We've been friends since day one. You know I've never asked you for something like this before. And Ruth's different. She's not like the others. I really want to try with her."
Dav stopped walking. For a moment, he simply stared at his friend, words lodged in his throat. He wanted to say no. He wanted to say, She's not for you. He wanted to say, Because I want her.
But the words never came.
Instead, he forced a chuckle and shook his head. "You don't even know if she likes you back."
"That's why I need you," Brown replied quickly. "Help me find out. Just… don't block me, Dav. Don't stand in my way."
The words hit harder than Brown realized. Don't stand in my way.
Dav managed a small smile, hiding the ache in his chest. "We'll see," he said quietly, before continuing toward the lecture hall.
But inside, his world was spinning.
That night, Dav lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying Brown's words over and over. Help me with Ruth. Don't stand in my way.
He had always told himself Ruth was like a sister. He had repeated it so many times that it had almost become believable. But Brown's request stripped away the illusion. The thought of Ruth with Brown laughing at his jokes, walking beside him, maybe even holding his hand was unbearable.
Jealousy burned in his chest, raw and sharp. Yet he had no right to it. He had never told Ruth how he felt. He had never even admitted it fully to himself. And now, with Brown pressing forward, Dav realized silence might cost him more than he was ready to lose.
But what could he do? Betray his friend? Or betray his own heart?
Ruth noticed the shift immediately.
The next day, as they walked back from class, she sensed Dav's distraction. He was quieter than usual, his responses short, his gaze often far away.
"You're awfully quiet today," she said, nudging him gently. "What's on your mind?"
Dav forced a smile. "Nothing. Just tired."
"Liar," she teased, though her eyes softened. "I can tell something's bothering you."
He wanted to tell her everything that Brown had asked for his help, that the thought of it twisted him inside out, that the reason he was so unsettled was because he wanted her for himself. But the words caught in his throat, trapped by fear.
Instead, he shrugged. "It's nothing, Ruth. Don't worry about it."
She sighed but didn't press. Still, her intuition told her the truth: Dav was hiding something.
Meanwhile, Brown wasted no time making his intentions clearer.
He began seeking Ruth out more often offering to carry her books, sitting beside her in the cafeteria, even waiting for her after lectures. He wasn't overbearing, but his persistence was obvious.
Ruth, polite as always, responded with kindness. She didn't encourage him, but she didn't shut him down completely either. Part of her didn't want to create unnecessary tension, especially since Brown was Dav's close friend. But another part of her her heart remained indifferent. She didn't feel what Brown wanted her to feel.
It was Dav she looked for in the crowd. Dav she trusted with her laughter and her silence. Dav who knew her better than anyone else.
Yet, as Brown's presence grew, Ruth began to wonder if Dav noticed. And if he did, why he said nothing.
One Saturday afternoon, the three of them found themselves together after a group study session. Sly had left early, leaving Dav, Ruth, and Brown to walk across campus. The air was thick with late-summer heat, and the silence between them was tense.
"So, Ruth," Brown said casually, breaking the quiet, "I was thinking… maybe we could go out sometime. Just the two of us. Dinner, maybe a movie?"
Ruth blinked, caught off guard. She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Dav spoke.
"She's busy," he said flatly.
Ruth and Brown both turned to look at him.
"Busy?" Brown repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Dav's jaw tightened. "We've got assignments. Deadlines. She doesn't have time for distractions."
Ruth stared at him, shocked by his tone. Brown, however, smirked knowingly. "Sounds like you're answering for her, Dav."
Dav looked away, his fists tightening at his sides. "I'm just saying she has priorities."
Ruth swallowed hard, her heart racing. She could feel the tension simmering between the two men, a silent battle neither was willing to name.
For the rest of the walk, no one spoke. But Ruth knew this was far from over.
That night, Dav sat on his bed, his phone in hand, Ruth's name glowing on the screen from their last conversation. He wanted to text her, to explain, to say something anything that would make her understand why he couldn't stand the thought of her with Brown.
But all he typed was:
Dav: Hope you got home safe.
Simple. Safe. Cowardly.
As the message sent, he leaned back, covering his face with his hands.
Brown had asked for his support, his blessing. But every fiber of Dav's being screamed against it.
He was dying in silence, torn between loyalty to his friend and the truth pounding in his chest.
And the longer he kept it buried, the more he feared losing the one person who mattered most.