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CHAPTER ELEVEN

RHYS

Keeping this a secret is already driving me insane.

I get why Ally wanted to keep things quiet, and I agreed because it was what she needed. But now that I know what it feels like to have her—to hold her, kiss her—I hate pretending nothing has changed.

Every time I’m near her, I want to reach out, pull her close, and remind her that she’s mine.

But I can’t.

Which is why tonight is torture.

Movie night at the house is usually easy.

A chance to relax with our friends, take a break from all the shit going on in our lives. But tonight, Ally is curled up on the other side of the couch, acting like she doesn’t feel the way my knee is barely brushing hers, as if she didn’t melt against me the last time we were alone.

And I have to act normal like I’m not itching to close the space between us.

It’s hell.

Chase is making a big deal about which movie we should watch, flipping through our options like his life depends on it. Arden and Yasmin are bickering about snacks while Ella watches on, amused. Ashley, though quiet, is present in the room, curled in an armchair and occasionally glancing between Ally and me.

She knows things have changed even though we haven’t talked about it since that first night I kissed Ally.

She hasn’t said anything outright, but she doesn’t have to. The way she watches us, the way she subtly raises an eyebrow when Ally shifts a little closer before catching herself—she sees it all. And unlike the others, she’s not just teasing.

She’s figuring us out.

“Alright,” Chase announces, pointing the remote at the TV. “We’re going with something that won’t make Arden fall asleep in the first ten minutes.”

“I don’t fall asleep,” Arden argues.

“You do,” Yasmin and Ella say in unison.

Ally laughs, and the sound sends a sharp ache through my chest. I miss hearing that when it’s just us. When she isn’t trying to keep up this whole act of normalcy. I glance at her, but she’s focused on the screen, avoiding me.

I clench my jaw. I need a break from this.

“I’m grabbing more snacks,” I say, pushing up from the couch. “Ally, come help.”

She hesitates for a fraction of a second before nodding. “Sure.”

I lead the way into the kitchen, waiting until we’re out of earshot before turning to her. “This is killing me.”

She sighs, leaning against the counter. “Rhys?—”

“No, really,” I cut her off, stepping closer. “I can’t sit next to you and pretend like everything is the same.” I glance back at the living room, the nerves and frustration clashing in my head. “I hate this,” I add quietly.

She glances towards the doorway, voice low. “You think this is easy for me?”

I shake my head, exhaling sharply. “Then why are we doing this?”

“Because we have to.” She lifts her chin, but I see the conflict in her eyes. “For now.”

Frustration coils in my chest. I don’t want ‘for now.’ I want her. I want us. And I’m about to tell her that when she sways slightly, gripping the counter like the floor just shifted beneath her.

“Ally?”

She blinks a few times, pressing her lips together. “I’m fine.”

I frown, stepping closer. “You don’t look fine.”

She forces a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I just stood up too fast.”

Something about the way she says it feels wrong. But before I can press, she straightens, pushing past me towards the pantry. “What do you want? Popcorn? Chips?”

I hesitate, watching her carefully. She’s moving like nothing happened, like I imagined it. Maybe I did. Maybe I’m overanalysing because I’m already on edge. Still, something isn’t sitting right.

“Popcorn,” I say finally. “And something sweet.”

She pulls out a bag of popcorn and a pack of chocolate, shooting me a playful smirk. “Compensating for your bitter personality?”

I roll my eyes, but it’s good to see some of her usual attitude back. “Let’s go before they come looking for us.”

She nods, but as I turn to head back to the living room, I catch Ashley lingering near the doorway.

She’s watching Ally.

And she looks worried.

A fleeting look shared between us conveys something unsaid. She noticed too.

I don’t say anything as we return to the couch, but my mind is still running, still processing. Something is going on with Ally. And whether she admits it or not, I’m going to find out what.

We settle back on the couch, and I’m hyper-aware of the way everyone shifts to make room. The way Ally is careful not to end up too close. She’s still putting on her act, glancing from me to Ashley to make sure no one suspects anything.

“Finally!” Chase throws his hands up in mock celebration. “I was about to send a rescue party.”

“Like you’re any better,” I say, hoping I sound convincing. “You’d get lost on the way to the kitchen.”

He grins, unbothered. “Not true. I’d follow the smell of snacks.” His overly enthusiastic tone almost makes me laugh, but I’m too busy watching Ally for any signs I might have missed.

She hands the popcorn to Ashley, then curls into the farthest side of the couch, her focus immediately back on the TV, on anything but me. Like she’s trying to prove something to herself or to Ashley.

Maybe both.

I open the chocolate, but I’m not really paying attention to what I’m doing. I can’t stop thinking about what just happened, the way she seemed so off-balance, how she wouldn’t meet my eye. It could be nothing. She could be telling the truth. Or?—

“Well?” Ella interrupts my thoughts. “Are we going to watch something, or are we waiting for Rhys to have another snack crisis?”

“Both?” Yasmin suggests, stifling a laugh.

“Hey,” I say, tossing a piece of chocolate at them.

“Alright, alright.” Chase waves the remote, starting the movie.

The lights dim, and I force myself to relax, or at least act like I’m relaxing. But my mind keeps going back to Ally, her dizziness, the way she brushed it off so quickly. While I hope it's nothing, I can’t ignore my gut feeling that something’s amiss, that she’s hiding more. I steal a glance at Ashley, who is still watching us, her eyes narrowed in concern.

She knows something is up with Ally.

And so do I.

The thought gnaws at me, an unsettling reminder that there’s more going on than either of us knows. It should be simple, just waiting until the timing is right, but now—now, I’m not sure what’s happening. I glance at Ally, my chest tightening. I need to get her alone again to make sure she’s okay.

“Bored already?” Ashley’s voice is soft, just loud enough for me to hear.

“Huh?”

She gives me a pointed look, then gestures to my hands. I have a death grip on the chocolate wrapper. It’s practically melting in my palm. She stifles a laugh, and I force myself to unclench my fist, trying to ignore the way my heart’s picking up speed.

“Just waiting for Arden to pass out,” I mutter back, but I can tell she’s not buying it. She raises an eyebrow, and I wonder if she knows more than I do or if she’s already figured out what happened in the kitchen.

“Shh,” Ella says. “This is the good part.”

The screen lights up with an explosion, and I feel Ally flinch beside me, just barely. I’m probably the only one who notices, but it’s enough. Enough to make me sure of one thing.

This isn’t just about the timing. It’s not just the secret that’s throwing everything off, that’s making her seem so distant. There’s something else going on with her, something she’s not telling me.

I don’t even realise I’m staring until Ella nudges me with her foot.

“What?” I ask.

She smirks like my misery is the most entertaining thing she’s seen all week.

“Nothing,” she says, drawing out the word. “Just wondering how many snacks you’ll need before you stop sulking.”

“Ten,” Arden chimes in, not missing a beat.

“More like twenty,” Yasmin adds.

Ally’s laughing again, but I hear the strain in it this time, the undercurrent of stress that wasn’t there before. It’s the same laugh she used when we were pretending everything was just one big act.

It drives me crazy.

I need to know what’s really going on.

I groan, tossing another piece of chocolate in my mouth. “Ha ha.”

The others are joking around, the tension breaking with their antics. But I’m still watching her, and I know Ashley is too. The rest of them might not see it, but we do.

We both do.

The movie plays on in the background, and I brace myself for another round of pretending.

Another round of hell.

Something is going on with Ally.

And whether she admits it or not, I’m going to find out what.