Chapter 2: Unrequited Love
Ophira's POV
We were talking and eating with my sisters when suddenly an arm casually draped over Reese's shoulder. It was none other than Raiden.
Shock registered on all our faces, including hers. When Reese turned to look at us, we all smiled teasingly. She elbowed the guy beside her, earning a groan. They bickered like they always did, the usual back-and-forth, until out of nowhere—Raiden leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
We all froze. Reese, especially. She dropped the juice she was holding, the liquid spilling across her skirt like a slow-motion accident. She cursed under her breath and excused herself quickly. Moments later, Raiden stood up too, probably going after her.
Not even a full minute passed when Yuan—Yasha's boyfriend—showed up with his friends. He smiled, greeted us politely, then asked if they could join. We barely nodded, all still caught in the chaos of what just happened.
I kept my eyes on my food. I didn't want to think. Didn't want to feel. But when someone sat beside me, I glanced up—and nearly choked on my own breath.
Ozaire.
I froze. I wanted to say hi. Really, I did. But the memory of earlier hit me like a slap. How could he stand there and question me? Defend his teammates over me, when I had the proof in my hands? Especially after what had happened two weeks ago?
Two weeks ago...
Flashback – Two Weeks Ago
It was late—too late for anyone to be at the gym, really. But I was there, sitting on the bleachers with a water bottle pressed to my cheek, trying to cool down after practice. Most of the lights were off, just the emergency ones casting long shadows across the court.
That's when he walked in.
Ozaire.
Hair damp with sweat, shirt slung over his shoulder like he belonged in some slow-motion commercial. He paused when he saw me, then raised an eyebrow.
"You live here now?"
"Don't tempt me," I muttered, letting the cold bottle fall into my lap. "It's quieter here."
He didn't say anything at first—just walked over and sat beside me. Not close. But not far either. Close enough that our knees almost touched.
After a beat of silence, he spoke. "You okay?"
I shrugged. "Tired."
"From practice or from life?"
I laughed, surprised. "Since when do you care?"
He leaned back, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "I don't. I'm just bored."
I rolled my eyes. Typical. Classic Ozaire. But then—
Then he glanced at me. Really looked.
His voice dropped, softer this time. "You shouldn't bottle things up, Ophira."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I notice things," he said simply. "You act like nothing gets to you. But it does."
I stared at him, caught between suspicion and something else—hope, maybe. Something stupid.
"You don't know me," I said, quieter.
"Maybe not." He turned to face me. "But I want to."
My heart skipped.
There it was.
That sliver of something. That flicker in his eyes that told me maybe, just maybe, I wasn't imagining it all.
But then—
"Relax," he added with a smirk. "You just seem like an interesting puzzle."
There it was again. The shove back into reality.
I looked away, clenching my fists. "Go to hell, Ozaire."
He chuckled. "You're welcome."
Back to the present...
So, I ignored him. Pretended he wasn't there even though his presence was louder than anything else in the cafeteria.
I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts I didn't notice the tension between Yasha and our youngest, Paicey. It wasn't until Paicey asked if she could go find Reese that I snapped back to reality. We let her go without a second thought.
"Paicey went looking for Reese," I said when Yasha asked where she was. She stood up to follow her, but Yuan stopped her with a single question: "Why are you hung up on those two?"
Those two? What was he talking about?
Yasha answered honestly—she just wanted to know what was going on. Yuan looked at her with wide eyes as realization dawned. "Wait… Paicey and Percy?" he said, dumbfounded. "They broke up."
Silence.
My sisters and I exchanged shocked glances. I was about to say something, but Yasha beat me to it.
"What?" she barked, standing up so fast her tray clattered. She banged the table hard, drawing attention from nearby tables. "They were together?"
Yuan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I… I should've shut up."
You think?
Paicey didn't want Yasha to know. We all knew why. Yasha was a part of that world—the celebrity world—where rumors spread faster than truth. Paicey begged us to keep it secret, and we did. Until now.
Yasha turned to us, her gaze sharp. "You all knew?"
We didn't say anything. We didn't have to. The guilt written on our faces said enough. She groaned and pulled her hand from Yuan's. Without another word, she dumped her tray and walked out of the cafeteria.
We followed. But once we were outside, she had already vanished.
Instead, we spotted Reese off to the side, talking with Raiden.
"Reese, isn't Paicey with you?" I asked as we approached.
They both turned. Was it just me, or were her cheeks slightly pink?
"What? No," she said, clearing her throat. "Why? Isn't she with you guys?"
"But isn't Paicey supposed to-"
"Nothing," I cut in before Valerie could say more. "She left earlier. We thought she was with you."
"Anyway, we'll go now. Enjoy your day," I added, trying to sound casual.
As we were about to walk away "Gaia, can we go to the library?" Reese asked suddenly, not even looking at Raiden.
"What? Oh, yeah. Sure," Gaia replied, glancing at me before nodding.
"Bailey, you coming?" Reese asked again, her eyes throwing silent daggers.
"Huh?" Bailey blinked. Reese glared. "Uh, yeah, sure," she said quickly, catching on.
Smart. She used them as her getaway. Smooth, Reese.
"Great, you guys can go now" she said sending us off.
We left them there and kept moving—until we saw her. Paicey. Sitting alone on a bench, staring into space.
I was about to go ask her why she lied, but someone beat me to it.
A guy. With pink hair.
"Isn't that—" Ozaire started, but I slapped my hand over his mouth, shushing him.
I scanned the area and spotted a bush close enough to hide behind. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand—yeah, I grabbed it—and dragged him along. The others followed.
We crouched behind the bush, perfectly hidden.
"Ugh, can you guys talk already," I whispered in frustration, watching the two just sit there in silence.
I glance around and in my peripheral vision. That's when I realized I was still holding his hand. I looked down, then trailed my gaze up his arm, to his face. He was focused on them—Paicey and Percy—too focused to notice me panicking over the accidental intimacy.
Then Percy finally spoke. Paicey nodded in response. My heart clenched a little.
After awhile, Valerie commented jokingly, "They're so dramatic, it's like watching a telenovela,"
I laughed and quietly said "At least they're talking. That's something."
Suddenly, the door creaked open. Yasha stepped out.
Damn it.
She spotted them instantly and made a beeline for them, but I jumped up, dragging Valerie and Yuan with me. We blocked her path.
She opened her mouth to yell, but I covered it quickly, shushing her again. "Let them talk," I whispered.
Valerie nodded toward the bench. Yasha looked… and softened.
Yeah. Who wouldn't? The two of them were smiling now, talking like nothing had ever happened. Like they were still in love. Maybe they were.
Yasha didn't say anything. She just sighed. Then we all crouched behind the bush again, silent witnesses to a conversation that was never meant for us.
That's when Ozaire whispered something that made my blood boil.
"Aren't you a little bit nosy?"
I turned to him slowly, irritated. "What?"
"You're invading your sister's personal life," he said, shrugging.
"Shut up," I hissed through gritted teeth. "You're nosy too."
He raised an eyebrow. "How exactly?"
"You didn't even know the full story earlier and you still stood there, acting like I made everything up."
He paused. Then—he laughed.
Laughed.
I felt my eyes sting unexpectedly. A tear slipped out before I could stop it. I looked up—right into Paicey's gaze. She had seen me.
I panicked.
I stood up and ran.
Ran from that place.
Ran from that moment.
Ran from him.
From my stupid, unrequited love for a boy who never once saw me the way I wanted him to.
"Everyone was finding something—peace, closure, love. I was just trying not to fall apart."