OPERATION JEALOUSY (II)

VIOLET

With a deep breath, I straightened up in my seat, forcing a smile that felt both foreign and forced. “So, Luke,” I began, keeping my tone casual, “what have you been up to lately? You haven’t been avoiding me, have you?” I added a teasing lilt to my voice, lightly kicking his foot under the table.

Luke looked up, surprised. “Avoiding you? Come on, Violet, you know I’d never do that.” He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ve actually been hoping to hang out with you more. Just us, you know?”

A thrill shot through me at his words. This was it.

“Really? You mean it?” I asked, leaning in closer, letting my fingers brush against Luke's arm as I spoke. I maintained eye contact, allowing a smile to grow on my lips.

Luke grinned, clearly pleased by my interest. “Absolutely. I miss our hangouts. How about this weekend?”

“Sounds perfect.” I leaned in even more, letting my shoulder press against his. “We can grab lunch, catch a movie… whatever you want.”

I could feel Ashley’s approving grin from across the table, and I bit my lip to stop myself from cringing. This was all so forced, so not me, but I had to admit

I turned back to Luke, feigning nonchalance as I rested my hand on his forearm, giving it a light squeeze. “Honestly, it’s been too long since we’ve spent time together. I’ve missed this.”

Luke’s eyes brightened as he leaned in closer, completely oblivious to the underlying motives. “Me too! You know, we always had the best time. It’s like no one else can get me like you do.”

I let out a soft laugh, the sound echoing through the cafeteria. “You’re right. We do make a good team.”

As if on cue, Ashley whispered, “He’s watching.” I stiffened slightly, my pulse quickening, but I kept my gaze on Luke, not daring to glance at Ryan just yet.

I leaned in a little more, letting our shoulders touch, my heart pounding. I could feel Ryan's eyes on me now, the weight of his gaze burning into my skin.
while.”

Luke looked down, his cheeks flushing slightly but then I saw it—out of the corner of my eye, Ryan’s head turned toward us. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… his eyes flickered with something dark, something I couldn’t quite place. He didn’t say anything, didn’t move, but I could feel the tension rolling off him from across the room.

I glanced at Ashley, who gave me an encouraging nod, silently urging me to keep going. But before I could say anything else, Ryan looked away, his gaze hardening as he turned his attention back to the conversation at his table.

My heart sank a little. Was this whole plan a mistake? Was Ryan really that unaffected by seeing me with someone else?

I refocused on Luke, who was still chatting away, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. But I couldn’t help myself—I stole another glance at Ryan just as he stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. Without a word, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the cafeteria, his shoulders tense, his jaw set.

Ashley let out a low whistle, her eyes wide with excitement as she leaned to my ears . “Did you see that? He’s pissed, Vi. It’s working!”

Luke, oblivious, continued to chatter about plans for the weekend, but I couldn’t focus on him anymore. My heart raced with uncertainty washing over me. What had I just done???

*******
The sound of water splashing echoed around the pool, the warm afternoon sun casting a golden glow on everything. Laughter filled the air as students milled about, enjoying the rare warm day after school. But I wasn’t focused on any of that. My attention was entirely on the poolside, where Luke stood, shirtless and grinning, waving me over.

Ashley nudged my side, her voice low and conspiratorial. “You ready for phase two?”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. After what had happened in the cafeteria earlier, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to keep going. Ryan’s reaction—or lack thereof—had left me doubting everything. But Ashley had been adamant. “Ryan did react, Vi. He left the cafeteria because of you,” she had insisted as we changed into our swimsuits in the locker room. And now, as I stood here in my bikini, feeling exposed in more ways than one, I wondered if this was really the right move.

“Vi,” Ashley said again, a little firmer this time, snapping me out of my thoughts. “He’s here. Over by the lounge chairs.”

My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t even noticed Ryan when we arrived, but now I followed Ashley’s gaze to where he sat, his tall, muscular frame leaned back on one of the chairs, arms crossed over his chest. He was watching, the faintest glint of something unreadable in his eyes as he surveyed the scene.

I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. I couldn’t back out now. Not when I was this far in.

“Let’s do this,” I muttered, forcing a smile as I made my way to Luke.

“Finally!” Luke grinned, reaching for my hand as I approached the edge of the pool. “I thought you were gonna leave me hanging. Ready for a swim?”

I laughed lightly, though it felt hollow in my chest. “Of course. Let’s make it fun.”

Luke’s eyes lit up, and before I knew it, he pulled me into the pool with him, the cool water enveloping us in an instant. I surfaced with a gasp, laughing as Luke splashed water at me. I played along, splashing him back, my movements light and teasing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ashley lounging by the side of the pool, her eyes flicking between Ryan and me, her grin barely concealed.

“Hey, come here,” Luke said, his voice softer now as he moved closer to me in the water. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something, Vi.”

I raised an eyebrow, trying to appear nonchalant even as the tension grew inside me. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

Luke’s hand brushed against mine under the water, and I felt a jolt of guilt twist in my stomach. This wasn’t fair to him, not really. But I had to go through with it. For the plan. For Ryan.

“I just… I really like spending time with you,” he admitted, his cheeks flushing slightly as he looked at me. “And I’ve always kinda wondered if… if you felt the same.”

I hesitated, biting my lip. I couldn’t give him what he wanted, not truthfully. But before I could respond, I felt it—the weight of Ryan’s stare burning into me from across the pool. Slowly, I turned my head, and there he was.

Ryan’s expression was stony, but his eyes… his eyes were dark, filled with something intense, something possessive. He sat up straighter, his body rigid as he watched Luke move closer to me in the water.

This was it.

I leaned into Luke, just enough to close the space between us, and rested my hand on his shoulder. “I’ve really liked spending time with you too, Luke,” I said softly, hoping the words didn’t sound as forced as they felt.

Luke smiled, but I barely noticed. My focus was entirely on Ryan, watching for any sign, any crack in that cold exterior. And then it happened—his jaw tightened, and in one swift movement, he stood up, grabbing his towel and tossing it over his shoulder. His movements were sharp, deliberate, as he made his way toward the exit of the pool area, not even bothering to look back.

Ashley’s eyes widened as she whispered from her spot near the pool’s edge, “Vi, he’s pissed. You’ve got him right where we want him.”

Luke’s voice broke through my thoughts. “So, what do you say about us hanging out tomorrow?”

I turned to him, forcing another smile. “Yeah, tomorrow sounds good,” I said, my voice hollow.

Later that day, the car ride home with Ryan was suffocating. The silence was thick, heavy, and his grip on the steering wheel was tense, knuckles white as he stared straight ahead. I stole a glance at him, but his face was unreadable, tight with something I couldn’t quite name.

Finally, he spoke, his voice breaking the silence “Can I tell you something?”

I nodded.

“You need to stop trying so hard,” he said coldly, his eyes flicking over to me for the briefest moment.

“You’re acting like a whore.”

Thump thump thump

OPERATION JEALOUSY: FAILED.