Chapter 45: Love Triangle

"Grandma, I'm going out with Dorah," Jace said, grabbing his car keys from the center table in the living room. "Seriously? It's the weekend. You should be spending time with me," Grandma replied, setting the remote control down on her lap and giving him a mildly disappointed look. Jace sighed lightly, slipping the key into his pocket. "Maybe next time, Granny. Not today. I promised Dorah I'd take her out, and I don't want to disappoint her." Grandma crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch. "Okay, whatever," she muttered, picking the remote again and raising the volume of the television as if to signal the end of the conversation. "Later, Granny," Jace said, turning to leave, but her voice stopped him in his tracks. "You're not falling for Dorah, right?" she asked suddenly, her tone sharp yet calm. Jace paused, blinking as he turned back with a puzzled look. "Why would you ask that?" he asked, squinting his face slightly in confusion. "She's in love with Ronald. I just want to be sure you're not setting yourself up for disappointment," Grandma said with a light shrug, not taking her eyes off the TV. "I've been meaning to ask… how do you even know about Ronald?" Jace asked, now truly curious. "How did you know he was even a thing?" "I don't know him personally," she said flatly. "You don't know him, yet you seem to know a whole lot more than you should. How did...." he trailed off, realization dawning. "Oh… Dorah. She told you, didn't she?" Grandma said nothing, simply adjusted her seat and picked up her mug. "I'll be going now," Jace said, his face still showing signs of thought as he walked toward the door. "You shouldn't fall for her. And if you do, don't tell her… unless you want her to feel guilty every time she looks at you," Grandma added, her voice a little softer this time. "I've heard you," Jace replied, leaning in to peck her on the cheek before dashing out. As he stepped outside, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Dorah's name flashing across the screen. "Where are you? Are we not going again?" Dorah asked, her tone holding a mix of impatience and excitement. "I'm on my way," he said, heading to his car and unlocking it with a beep. As he slid his phone into his pocket, his mind lingered on Grandma's words. If his feelings were real, then he was more confused than he wanted to admit. Dorah skipped excitedly down the path that led to the garden. Her steps were light, almost bouncy. "It's been a while since I came to the lake," she murmured to herself, a soft smile curling on her lips. It was her free period, and with Emma off to the sports unit, she'd decided to take a peaceful walk to her favorite spot. When she arrived, she halted mid-step. To her surprise, Jason was already there. She had expected the lake to be empty, quiet maybe except for Ronald, who occasionally visited but Jason was definitely not who she had in mind. "Hey, Dorah," Jason greeted with a small wave, gesturing for her to come over. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a class or something?" she asked, walking toward him with curiosity. As she got closer, she noticed the notepad in his hand. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you be in class?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "Oh, come on. Don't give me that look," Dorah laughed, playfully nudging him. "I have a free period now." Jason gave a slight nod. "Oh." He returned his focus to his pad. "What are you writing?" she asked, tilting her head to peek. "A song," he said without looking up. "I can see you're struggling with it," she said with a chuckle, noticing how he kept pausing. "Yeah. I don't actually need it. I'm just trying to use my free time wisely," he replied with a shrug. "So, you wanna become an artist in the future?" Dorah asked, leaning back on her hands and gazing up at the sky. "Nope," he said, popping the 'p' with amusement. "Why not?" "I just don't feel like it." "Then what's all this for?" she asked, pointing at the notepad. "It's just something I enjoy doing. For fun," Jason replied simply. Dorah raised her brows. "It's something you love doing, yet you don't want to pursue it?" Jason turned to look at her with a bemused expression. "Are you trying to investigate me or something?" "No, no," she said, waving her hand. "It's just a harmless question." "You talk too much," he said, eyes back on his pad. She laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll zip it." Jason smiled faintly, still scribbling. "I want to take over my dad's company," he added after a short silence. "I admire how serious he is when he's working. I've attended meetings with him, and the feeling I get in those rooms… it's indescribable. That's what I see myself doing." "Wow. That's actually really cool," Dorah said, nodding sincerely. "Yeah, sure. Now let me concentrate. Stop talking," he teased. Dorah made an exaggerated motion of zipping her mouth, locking it, and throwing the imaginary key into the lake. Jason chuckled. "That's good." The silence that followed was peaceful. They both drifted into their thoughts, the gentle sounds of the water and wind surrounding them. After a few minutes, Jason closed his notepad and set it down beside him. He turned to her. "Can we talk?" She stared at him, a bit unsure. She gave no immediate reply. "C'mon, you can talk now," he said with a laugh. "Thank God. I almost suffocated," she joked, dramatically fanning herself. Jason rolled his eyes in amusement. "So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked. "You," he said, and her expression shifted. "And Ronald. Maybe Jace too." Her brows furrowed. "What about us?" "Which one of them do you love?" Jason asked, studying her face closely. Dorah blinked, surprised. "Why are you asking me that? I didn't expect that kind of question from you." Jason leaned back slightly. "Have you noticed the way they look at you? The way they're both overly protective of you, it's more than any of us can explain. I'm just worried, Dorah. I don't want to see my friends falling apart because of a misunderstanding or unspoken feelings." He paused, then added more gently, "If you don't love either of them, let them know. And if it's just one of them, be honest. Don't keep the other person hanging. This kind of thing… it can tear friendships apart. And once that happens, we might never be able to fix it again." Dorah swallowed, her gaze shifting away. Jason's words hit harder than she expected.