The lecture hall buzzed with the usual after-class chatter, students filing out in clusters, waving hands, exchanging notes, and making weekend plans. Dav moved slowly through the crowd, his bag slung over his shoulder, his mind still tangled in the equations scribbled across the board. But then he saw it Ruth and Brown, standing just outside, laughing together.
It wasn't just laughter. It was the ease of it, the way Brown leaned in a little too close, the way Ruth's eyes crinkled when she smiled, the way her hand briefly brushed his arm as though she hadn't noticed.
Dav froze. A sharp ache settled in his chest, a mixture of jealousy and fear. For a moment, he convinced himself to ignore it walk past, pretend he hadn't seen, bury the feeling as he always did.
But he couldn't. Not this time.
Each second that passed only deepened the sting. The thought of Ruth giving Brown the kind of warmth she had always reserved for him it was unbearable. Before he knew it, Dav was striding forward, his steps purposeful, his jaw clenched.
"Ruth," he said firmly as he reached them.
She turned, surprise flashing in her eyes. "Dav? Hey, what's "
But he didn't let her finish. He reached out and gripped her hand, his hold firm but not rough, his voice low and urgent.
"Ruth, we need to talk."
The suddenness of his tone silenced them both. Brown raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly, but said nothing. Ruth blinked, caught off guard by Dav's intensity.
"Now," Dav added, not giving room for argument.
Ruth glanced at Brown, then back at Dav, her heart thudding. Something in his eyes serious, almost desperate made her nod. "Alright. Let's talk."
Dav didn't wait. Still holding her hand, he led her away from the crowd, down the corridor, and out to the quieter side of the faculty building where the noise of students faded into distant echoes.
Ruth finally pulled her hand back, folding her arms across her chest. "Dav, what's going on? Why are you dragging me out here like this?"
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "I can't keep watching this, Ruth. You and Brown… whatever's going on, it's eating at me."
Her eyes widened. "Eating at you? Dav, we were just talking. That's all."
"That's all?" Dav repeated, his voice rising slightly. "Do you know how many times I've seen him around you lately? Carrying your books, walking you home, cracking jokes, sitting too close don't tell me it's nothing."
Ruth frowned, taken aback by the intensity in his voice. "Why does it matter so much to you?"
The question hit him hard. Why did it matter? He could have said it was because he was protective, because Brown wasn't serious, because he didn't want to see her hurt. All of that was true, but none of it was the full truth.
Instead, he took a step closer, his eyes locked on hers. "It matters because I need to know, Ruth. Have you… have you fallen for him? Is that why you've been avoiding me lately? Because it feels like we hardly hang out anymore, and every time I see you, he's there."
Ruth's lips parted, but no words came. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Dav's voice softened, though it carried the weight of his emotions. "Tell me the truth. Do you like him? Because if you do, I… I need to hear it from you."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and unyielding. Ruth looked away, her thoughts spiraling. She hadn't meant to distance herself from Dav, not consciously. But Brown's constant presence had made things complicated, and in trying not to stir conflict, she had unknowingly created distance between her and the one person who mattered most.
Finally, she met his gaze again. "Dav… I haven't fallen for Brown. And if I've been avoiding you, it's not because of him. It's because…" She trailed off, unsure if she could say the rest.
Dav stepped closer still, his eyes searching hers, desperate for the words she was holding back.
"Because what, Ruth?"
Her chest tightened, fear and longing battling inside her. She wanted to tell him, tell him the truth she had buried for months, the truth that burned every time he looked at her. But the words lodged in her throat.
Instead, she shook her head and whispered, "It's complicated."
Dav clenched his fists, frustration gnawing at him. "Complicated? That's all you're going to give me?"
Ruth bit her lip, tears threatening. "Dav, please. Not here. Not like this."
He exhaled, the tension in his shoulders refusing to leave. "Fine. But I need you to know… I can't keep pretending I don't care. Not when it comes to you. So whatever this is, whatever you're not telling me figure it out, Ruth. Because I can't stand on the sidelines while someone else tries to take your place in my life."
Her breath caught. His words weren't a confession, not fully, but they were close enough to rattle her.
Dav turned away then, running a hand across his face, trying to regain control of the storm inside him. Ruth stood frozen, her heart pounding with the weight of everything unsaid.
For the first time, their friendship stood on fragile ground not because of Brown, but because of the truth both of them were too afraid to fully speak aloud.
And in that silence, both knew nothing would ever be the same again.