"Oh God, Prisca what have you been up to!" I said to myself obviously frustrated.
"Prisca, if you don't answer me, I swear I'll explode. Please, just call me back. I don't know what to do."
Delivered. No response.
I lowered the phone and sighed. "Wow. Of all times to go MIA, Prisca… it had to be now."
My voice came out tight. A bit hoarse. Like it was holding back something bigger—something louder.
I shifted on the bench, pulling my knees close to my chest. The barracks behind me felt like another planet entirely. Too full of secrets. Of questions. Of men I couldn't read anymore.
"I'm in the biggest mess of my life," I whispered, watching a squirrel scurry along the fence. "And the only person who could talk sense into me is dodging my texts."
I rubbed my hands together and laughed dryly. "Jake loves me," I said, like repeating it could make it sound less absurd. "He actually said those words. 'I love you, Sidney.' After two whole years of giving me nothing but awkward nods and polite smiles."
My heart twisted at the memory. Not because it wasn't sweet—but because it was just too late.
"And Carl…" I paused, teeth clenching. "Carl freaking Summers."
I stood abruptly, pacing in small, angry circles on the stone tiles. "Why would you kiss me, Carl? Why would you smile at me like that? Look at me like I'm something special? Make me feel—seen—just to turn around and say I should give Jake a chance?"
I threw my hands up at the empty sky. "What am I? A consolation prize?"
The wind picked up slightly, brushing against my face, cooling the sting of frustration in my eyes.
I was out there, completely losing my mind, trying to call Prisca. Funny how I haven't been able to reach her for two days now. Every call rang out, every text left unread. Was she avoiding me? Or was something wrong? My mind couldn't stop spiraling. And in the middle of this chaos, I melted.
Melted in confusion, anger, heartbreak, and worst of all—embarrassment. I had a million thoughts racing in my head. Why did Carl hire me? Was that really his house or Jake's? What was going on? Nothing made sense anymore.
The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the pavement outside the barracks, but it didn't warm me. My skin was cold with uncertainty.
Jake walked out shortly after and came to where I stood, holding my phone like a lifeline, even though it hadn't rung once.
He reached for my hand gently.
I let myself slip from his grip and turned, trying to walk away without a word. My boots tapped rapidly on the concrete, but Jake caught up again, holding my wrist.
"Sidney, please," he said, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "I know. I know it's a lot for you to take in right now because it's sudden. I will wait. I'll be waiting for your reply. I'd be—"
"No." I turned and cut him off. The word came out firmer than I intended. I saw the shock settle into his face.
"What do you mean?" he asked, a quiver in his voice.
I inhaled sharply. I knew instantly he wanted this—badly. But I couldn't. I shouldn't. I wouldn't. "I'm sorry, Jake, I don't feel the same way. I…"
I turned to Carl who was behind,hoping for some clarity—something. He didn't look at me. His face was stiff with guilt. What had he done? Why did he kiss me if all this was just a favor for his friend? Was that kiss meaningless? Or was he burying something behind his silence?
"Give him a chance, Sidney. He truly loves you," Carl said finally, eyes still refusing to meet mine.
That hit me like a slap.
"I'll need time to think about it then," I said. But what I needed wasn't time. It was answers. I needed to know if Carl felt what I felt.
"Thank you, Sidney. I will wait for your answer," Jake said with conviction.
I nodded distantly. "So… who is actually hiring me?" I turned to Carl. If everything was up in the air, I needed at least one grounded truth.
"Actually, Jake will relocate to my place after his assignment—he's escorting the President to the United States," Carl explained.
My jaw almost dropped. "You're saying I'll be living with the both of you?"
"It wasn't planned initially," Carl began, scratching the back of his neck, "but it just… happened."
I just scoffed. Disbelief. Disappointment. "Y'all planned this?"
"No," Carl said quickly, "this wasn't part of the plan. It evolved. That's all."
Jake stepped in then. "Don't worry, Sidney. Annie doesn't know anything about this, and I won't involve her in any way. I know my sister. She's… she's trouble."
That made me smile slightly. Not because it was funny, but because it was the first honest thing said all day.
"Okay, I guess I should resume work," I muttered. "I have to cook, right?"
Carl grinned, almost apologetically. "I already ordered something. You don't have to cook."
I rolled my eyes and gave him a look. He chuckled softly. "Also… I arranged for your belongings to be waybilled from Annie's house to ours."
I stared at him. "Thank you," I said, barely above a whisper.
Everything was moving too fast. I was too weak to argue. My body moved like a puppet, but my mind was in pieces.
I walked toward the car silently. My footsteps felt heavy as if each one pulled me deeper into a trap of my own making. Behind me, Jake and Carl followed. Two men, one heart, and a mountain of tangled emotions.
I was in a mess.
A twisted, confusing, unavoidable love triangle.
And the worst part?
I wasn't sure who was pulling me harder—Jake, who saw me from a distance and loved me quietly, or Carl, who kissed me when he shouldn't have but made my heart thunder in ways I couldn't explain.
My phone buzzed again.
The network provider, damn them.