[2 1/2 Months Since Death]
The air in the cafeteria was thick with the smell of floor wax and overcooked pizza, but the atmosphere at their table was unusually light. Outside, the vibrant oranges of fall were fading into the skeletal greys of impending winter, and the temperature had dropped enough that Annie was bundled in one of her mother's old, oversized knit sweaters.
It had been two and a half months since the world stopped spinning. While the hollow ache in her chest remained, Annie found she could finally laugh without feeling like she was committing a crime against her grief.
"I'm telling you, it's a design flaw," Riley said, gesturing wildly with a carrot stick. "Why are the lockers so thin? I tried to fit my gym bag and my cleats in there this morning, and I practically had to use a hydraulic press. I looked like I was wrestling a metal alligator."
Ellie rolled her eyes, her silver tongue ready as always. "Maybe if you didn't keep three weeks' worth of old hoodies in there, Riley, you'd have room for the stuff you actually need for school. You know, like books? Those things with pages?"
"Books are heavy, El. They ruin my center of gravity," Riley chirped, his bouncy energy undeterred. He turned his attention to Annie, his brown eyes sparkling. "Annie, back me up. You're a reader. You know the struggle of carrying around all that intellectual weight."
Annie smiled, leaning her chin on her hand. "I think the books are the only thing keeping you grounded, Riley. Otherwise, you'd probably float away."
"See? She gets me," Riley laughed, leaning in just a bit closer than necessary.
Ethan was missing from the table, currently stuck in a mandatory quarterback meeting with the coach. Usually, he was like a physical barrier between Annie and the rest of the world, but over the last few weeks, he had started to relax. He had seen how Ellie went to bat for Annie against Peggy's group, and he had grudgingly accepted that Annie needed a life that didn't just involve him standing guard.
"Alright, losers," Ellie said, checking her watch and standing up. "I have to run to the library to print that history project before fifth period. If I'm late, Mr. Henderson will actually feed me to the school mascot."
"I'll come with-" Annie started to rise, but Ellie pressed a hand on her shoulder.
"Stay. Finish your lunch. You barely ate your fruit," Ellie commanded with her trademark bossiness. "I'll meet you by the lockers in ten."
With a quick wave, Ellie disappeared into the crowd of students, leaving Annie alone with the twin who didn't know the meaning of the word 'boundary.'
The shift in the air was immediate. Riley didn't go back to his lunch, instead, he shifted on the bench, propping his elbow on the table and resting his head in his hand, watching Annie with a look that was far too focused.
"So," Riley started, his voice losing its "group" volume and dropping into a smooth, practiced hum.
"Now that the warden is gone... you look really good today, Annie. That sweater? It makes your eyes look like a storm at sea. A very pretty, very blue storm."
Annie felt the familiar urge to roll her eyes, but she kept her tone polite. "It's just a sweater, Riley. And I'm pretty sure you said the same thing to the girl in my art class yesterday."
"Ouch. Sharp," Riley grinned, seemingly delighted by the rejection. It was a known secret that Riley lived for the 'no.' He liked the chase, the verbal sparring, and the way Annie never fell for his lines. "But she doesn't have your mysterious vibe. You've got that whole 'brooding artist' thing going on. It's very attractive. If you ever get tired of being so humble, you should let me take you out. I know a place with the best milkshakes in the county- no grief allowed, just sugar."
Annie shifted back, the ghost of Ethan's 'babydoll' still echoing in her mind. "I'm flattered, Riley, really. But you're not my type. At all. I'm pretty sure you're not even your own type."
Riley let out a dramatic gasp, clutching his chest. "Straight to the heart! You're brutal, Annie. Truly. But hey, a guy can dream, right? Or at least wait until you realize that I'm much more fun than whatever brooding thoughts you've got tucked away in that head of yours."
He leaned in an inch further, his gaze dropping to her lips for a second too long. "You sure you don't want to reconsider? I'm very persistent."
"I'm sure," Annie said firmly, though she couldn't help a small laugh at his sheer audacity. "Go eat your carrots, Riley."
Across the cafeteria, half-hidden by the shadow of the vending machines and the bustling crowd of students, Ethan stood like a statue. He had just emerged from his meeting, his playbook still gripped in one hand, but his focus was entirely locked on the table he'd left ten minutes ago.
He saw the exact moment Ellie left. He watched her figure weave through the plastic chairs until she disappeared through the double doors, leaving Annie and Riley in a bubble of dangerous isolation.
Ethan's jaw tightened until his teeth ached. From this distance, the cafeteria noise was a dull roar, masking their words, but he didn't need to hear them. He knew Riley. He knew the way the boy's shoulders relaxed when he was closing in, the way he propped his head on his hand to look 'sensitive,' and the predatory, playful lean of his torso when he was casting a net.
He watched Riley lean in. He saw the way Riley's eyes dropped- briefly, but undeniably, to Annie's mouth.
A cold, dark coil of rage tightened in Ethan's gut, winding around his ribs until it was hard to breathe. It wasn't just jealousy, it was a protective instinct so sharp it felt like a physical edge.
In his mind, he was already across the room, his hand fisted in the collar of Riley's shirt, dragging him away from the girl who had only just started to feel safe again. He wanted to remind Riley- and the rest of the room, that Annie wasn't some 'target' for his boredom.
But then, he looked at Annie.
He saw her posture. She wasn't leaning back in fear, but she wasn't leaning in, either. She looked composed, her expression firm as she spoke. Even from across the room, Ethan could see the subtle shake of her head- the "no" that she had given a dozen times to a dozen different nuisances.
He forced his fingers to uncurl from the edge of his playbook. He trusted her. He knew the taste of her kiss, and he knew the weight of the secrets they shared. If he stormed over there now, he'd be the 'short-tempered' jock everyone expected him to be. He'd embarrass her, and after the progress she'd made, the last thing she needed was a scene in the middle of the lunchroom.
Still, the fire in his chest didn't go out- it just settled into a low, smoldering heat. He watched Riley laugh at something she said- likely a rejection, and felt a wave of possessive irritation. Riley might like the chase, but he was hunting in the wrong woods.
Ethan didn't move forward.
Instead, he stayed in the shadows, his dark eyes fixed on the back of Riley's head. He would let Annie handle it for now. He would trust her strength.
But as he watched Riley take one last lingering look at her before turning back to his food, Ethan made a silent vow. Riley was his friend, and Ellie was his ally, but if Riley crossed the line from "annoying flirt" to "disrespectful," Ethan wouldn't just be a bystander.
He waited until Annie looked up, her blue eyes scanning the room as if searching for him. When her gaze finally landed on his, he didn't smile. He just gave her a sharp, single nod- a silent acknowledgment that he was there, he had seen, and he was waiting.