Love's Unending Thorn

03

Chapter Three

I woke up feeling warm and content, but as I looked around, I noticed that Ryan wasn't there. My heart sank, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had left without saying goodbye. Had he changed his mind about us?

But then I remembered what had happened the night before, and a small smile formed on my lips. We had shared our feelings for each other, and we had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

I got out of bed and quickly got dressed, eager to join my classmates for breakfast. As I approached the picnic table where everyone was gathered, I noticed that Ryan was nowhere to be seen. I felt a pang of worry in my chest. Had something happened between us that I wasn't aware of? Had I said or done something wrong?

"Hey, Jade!" Mark, one of my closest friends, called out to me, waving me over. Clara, the model of the class, was sitting next to him.

I sat down next to them and smiled, feeling a little out of place. Mark was the top student in our class, and Clara was always impeccably dressed and perfectly made-up.

"Where's Ryan?" I asked, looking around for him.

"He went for a walk," Mark said, nodding his head in the direction of the lake. "I think he needed some space."

I felt a little worried, but I tried to push it aside. Maybe he just needed some time alone.

But then Clara spoke up, her voice dripping with annoyance. "I saw Jessica going after him," she said.

My heart sank. I had forgotten all about her. I couldn't help but wonder if Ryan was still in love with her, if he was having second thoughts about us.

Without thinking, I got up from the table and started walking towards the lake. I knew that I needed to talk to Ryan, to figure out what was going on between us.

As I walked, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and saw Mark running towards me.

"Jade, wait up," he said, panting a little.

I stopped and waited for him to catch up. "What's wrong?" I asked, feeling a little worried.

"Jade, I don't think you should go down there," he said, his voice filled with concern. "I followed Ryan, and I saw something that you might not want to see."

My heart started racing. What had Ryan done? I couldn't imagine anything that would make me not want to see him.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Mark hesitated for a moment before finally admitting, "I saw Jessica and Ryan making out."

I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had trusted Ryan, had believed that he was different from all the other guys I had known. But now I realized that I had been wrong.

Tears started streaming down my face, and I turned around, ready to run back to the cabin.

But Mark caught up to me and pulled me into a hug. I sobbed into his shoulder, feeling like my whole world was falling apart.

As I cried, I felt a sense of betrayal wash over me. I had opened myself up to Ryan, had let myself believe that he was the one for me. But now I realized that I had been foolish.

Eventually, I pulled away from Mark, feeling like I needed to be alone. I started walking back to the cabin, feeling like I needed to get away from there as fast as I could.

As I walked, I felt like my whole world was crashing down around me. I had never felt so hurt and betrayed in my life.

When I got back to the cabin, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried. I cried for what felt like hours, feeling like there was no way out of the pain I was feeling.

Eventually, I heard a knock on the door. It was Mark, and he sounded worried.

"Jade, are you okay?" he asked through the door.

I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. I wiped away my tears and opened the door.

"I'm fine," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

Mark looked at me with concern. "Jade, I know this is hard for you," he said. "But you don't have to go through it alone. You have friends who care about you and want to help."

I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe I wasn't alone after all. Maybe I could get through this with the help of my friends.

"Thanks, Mark," I said, feeling grateful for his support. "I appreciate it."

Mark smiled at me. "Anytime, Jade," he said. "Just remember that you're not alone."

I nodded, feeling a little better. I knew that I had a long road ahead of me, but maybe with the help of my friends, I could make it through.

As the day went on, Itried to keep myself busy. I went for a walk in the woods, read a book, and talked to some of my classmates. But no matter what I did, I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal and hurt.

I tried to avoid Ryan and Jessica, but I couldn't help but see them together, laughing and flirting like nothing had happened. It made me sick to my stomach.

As night fell, I lay in bed, feeling more alone than ever. I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever be able to trust anyone again, if I would ever be able to open myself up to love.

But then I remembered something that my mother had told me when I was young. "Love is a risk," she had said. "But it's a risk worth taking."

I knew that my mother was right. Love was a risk, but it was also the most beautiful thing in the world. And even though I had been hurt, I knew that I couldn't give up on it.

With that thought in my mind, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.