The tale of love

Jealousy in the Air

ZAYNE'S POV

Saturday.

Campus was quiet, like the world was holding its breath. Most students were still sleeping off Friday night parties, but Angel and I had our own plans.

We sat in a quiet, corner café just off-campus. It had soft music, crooked tables, and the kind of warm air that made you want to talk for hours.

She sat across from me, eating pancakes and licking syrup off her thumb without realizing it. I was trying very hard not to stare.

"I can't believe you've never tried cinnamon chai," she said, pushing her cup toward me.

I took a sip, pretending not to die inside at how intimate this felt.

"Hmm," I nodded. "It tastes like winter and broken hearts."

She laughed. "Wow. Very poetic, Cole."

I smirked. "You bring it out of me."

She looked at me then — soft, curious — and for a second, I wanted to tell her everything. Why I really left school. What I lost. What I was still afraid of.

But I didn't.

Instead, I said, "So… what if I asked you to hang out again? Not for a project. Just because I want to."

She blinked. "Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe."

She smiled. "Then maybe I'll say yes."

---

LATER – CAMPUS LAWN

We were heading back toward the studio when the laughter stopped.

Because standing near the fountain were Ryan and his friends — James, Ray, and Jack. And when they spotted us, everything changed.

Ryan's eyes locked on mine.

Then on Angel.

His jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.

Jack whistled low. "Dang. That's Angel with Cole?"

James nudged Ryan. "I thought you said she was just some art girl."

Ray added quietly, "Bro, are you… jealous?"

Ryan didn't answer.

He just watched us.

---

ANGEL'S POV

Zayne and I were walking side by side when I felt the weight of someone's gaze. I turned and met Ryan's eyes from across the quad.

His stare was cold.

Sharp.

Like a thousand unsaid things lived behind it.

I looked away quickly, my heart skipping.

Zayne noticed. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just… weird tension."

He didn't press, but I could feel him stiffen. The air between us suddenly thick.

---

RYAN'S POV

I watched her laugh.

With him.

Zayne's hand brushed her lower back as they walked past the studio, and I nearly snapped my pen in two.

"Don't say it," I muttered.

James shrugged. "We're just saying, man. You've got her running notes for you like a loyal puppy, but someone else is making her laugh."

I didn't reply.

Because they were right.

And I hated it.

I wasn't supposed to care. Angel was just a girl who owed me for a broken tablet.

But somewhere between her messy hair, her smart mouth, and the way she rolled her eyes at me like I was impossible to love…

…I started feeling something.

And now Zayne freaking Cole — the golden boy billionaire in disguise — was circling her like she was his next masterpiece.

I turned on my heel and stormed across the lawn.

"Where are you going?" James called after me.

"I'm going to end this," I muttered.

My blood boiled. My head was a mess.

And my heart?

Yeah. That traitor was the worst of them all.

---

I saw her alone, packing her sketch bag near the studio.

"Angel."

She froze.

My voice was sharp. Low.

She turned.

And just like that—