Almost Love, Then Everything - Chapter 18: Chapter 18
You are reading Almost Love, Then Everything, Chapter 18: Chapter 18. Read more chapters of Almost Love, Then Everything.
("You smiled at her the way I wish you’d smile at me.
And it hurt. More than I expected.")
The café was buzzing with late afternoon noise—spoons clinking against ceramic mugs, the low hum of conversation, soft acoustic music threading through it all.
Leah sat by the window, nursing a lukewarm coffee, waiting.
Jade had texted:
“Be there in 10. Bringing someone I want you to meet :)”
It was the smiley face that did it.
Leah had stared at it longer than she’d admit.
That tiny curve of a symbol—friendly, casual, innocent.
But somehow, it twisted something inside her.
The door chimed.
And there Jade was.
Smiling.
Radiant.
And beside her—a girl.
Taller than Leah. Hair like spun gold. Confident eyes.
Her name was Talia.
Leah stood and tried not to frown. “Hi.”
Talia offered a hand. “You must be Leah. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Leah shook her hand, nodding politely. “Funny, I haven’t heard about you at all.”
Jade shot her a look—gentle, confused, a little surprised.
And Leah immediately hated how sharp she sounded.
They sat together, the three of them. But it didn’t feel like together.
Talia laughed easily. She touched Jade’s arm when she spoke. She leaned in when she listened. And Jade—Jade didn’t pull away.
She didn’t even seem to notice.
And Leah sat there, drowning in a feeling she didn’t expect to feel so soon.
Possessiveness.
Insecurity.
Jealousy.
She hated it. But more than that—she hated the way it made her want to cry.
Because what were they, really?
Friends who sometimes held hands in the dark?
Girls who shared silences and sleep and almosts?
Nothing was official. Nothing had been said.
So what right did she have to feel this way?
None.
But she did.
After Talia left—after the bright smile, the too-long hug, the “See you soon?”—Leah was quiet.
Jade noticed.
“You okay?”
Leah forced a smile. “Yeah. Fine.”
Jade tilted her head. “You sure? You got really quiet.”
Leah looked away. Out the window. Somewhere safer.
And then, before she could stop herself, she said it.
> “Are you… seeing her?”
Jade blinked. “What?”
“Talia. Are you—” Leah swallowed. “Is she someone you’re… into?”
The pause was heavy.
Then Jade exhaled. “No. God, no. She’s my cousin.”
Leah froze. “Oh.”
“Oh?” Jade echoed.
Leah tried to smile. “I just… thought—never mind.”
But Jade was looking at her now with something deeper in her eyes.
Something like realization.
“You were jealous.”
It wasn’t a question.
Leah didn’t deny it.
Didn’t nod either.
She just looked down at her cup and said, “I didn’t like the way she looked at you.”
Jade was silent for a long time.
Then—softly—she said, “You could’ve just told me.”
Leah met her eyes.
And what she saw there was not judgment.
Not teasing.
It was something else entirely.
Warmth.
Relief.
Maybe even hope.
Jealousy is never just about the other person.
It’s about the fear of losing something
you never had the courage to fully hold.
And it hurt. More than I expected.")
The café was buzzing with late afternoon noise—spoons clinking against ceramic mugs, the low hum of conversation, soft acoustic music threading through it all.
Leah sat by the window, nursing a lukewarm coffee, waiting.
Jade had texted:
“Be there in 10. Bringing someone I want you to meet :)”
It was the smiley face that did it.
Leah had stared at it longer than she’d admit.
That tiny curve of a symbol—friendly, casual, innocent.
But somehow, it twisted something inside her.
The door chimed.
And there Jade was.
Smiling.
Radiant.
And beside her—a girl.
Taller than Leah. Hair like spun gold. Confident eyes.
Her name was Talia.
Leah stood and tried not to frown. “Hi.”
Talia offered a hand. “You must be Leah. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Leah shook her hand, nodding politely. “Funny, I haven’t heard about you at all.”
Jade shot her a look—gentle, confused, a little surprised.
And Leah immediately hated how sharp she sounded.
They sat together, the three of them. But it didn’t feel like together.
Talia laughed easily. She touched Jade’s arm when she spoke. She leaned in when she listened. And Jade—Jade didn’t pull away.
She didn’t even seem to notice.
And Leah sat there, drowning in a feeling she didn’t expect to feel so soon.
Possessiveness.
Insecurity.
Jealousy.
She hated it. But more than that—she hated the way it made her want to cry.
Because what were they, really?
Friends who sometimes held hands in the dark?
Girls who shared silences and sleep and almosts?
Nothing was official. Nothing had been said.
So what right did she have to feel this way?
None.
But she did.
After Talia left—after the bright smile, the too-long hug, the “See you soon?”—Leah was quiet.
Jade noticed.
“You okay?”
Leah forced a smile. “Yeah. Fine.”
Jade tilted her head. “You sure? You got really quiet.”
Leah looked away. Out the window. Somewhere safer.
And then, before she could stop herself, she said it.
> “Are you… seeing her?”
Jade blinked. “What?”
“Talia. Are you—” Leah swallowed. “Is she someone you’re… into?”
The pause was heavy.
Then Jade exhaled. “No. God, no. She’s my cousin.”
Leah froze. “Oh.”
“Oh?” Jade echoed.
Leah tried to smile. “I just… thought—never mind.”
But Jade was looking at her now with something deeper in her eyes.
Something like realization.
“You were jealous.”
It wasn’t a question.
Leah didn’t deny it.
Didn’t nod either.
She just looked down at her cup and said, “I didn’t like the way she looked at you.”
Jade was silent for a long time.
Then—softly—she said, “You could’ve just told me.”
Leah met her eyes.
And what she saw there was not judgment.
Not teasing.
It was something else entirely.
Warmth.
Relief.
Maybe even hope.
Jealousy is never just about the other person.
It’s about the fear of losing something
you never had the courage to fully hold.
End of Almost Love, Then Everything Chapter 18. Continue reading Chapter 19 or return to Almost Love, Then Everything book page.