𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 *✧･ﾟ:‧͙⁺˚*･༓* [𝖕𝖆𝖚𝖑 𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖊]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

He is snapped out of his thoughts when Jared puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, dude," he laughs to himself. "He's picking her up now. You can wipe that depressed look off your face."

.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.

As Milly and Leah sat next to each other on the couch, Seth sat underneath the coffee table.

"Wouldn't it be cool if jigsaws were double-sided?" he says, looking at the bottom of the puzzle that they were working on above the glass table top.

Leah's eyes widen, and a smirk creeps up on her face. She turns to Milly, who is thinking about how to respond.

"But how would you be able to see the other side?"

Leah cocked a brow, not expecting Milly to want to know more about her brother's wild idea.

"Well, you would have to have someone where I am to see it," he replies, coming up with a business model for his idea.

"I don't think that is very realistic to expect, Seth," Leah replies, her scepticism evident in her tone. Milly, on the other hand, seems intrigued by the concept.

"But what if we use cameras or mirrors to capture the view from your side and project it onto the glass table top?"

"Okay, but what is the purpose of a double-sided puzzle?" Leah asks, still unsure about the practicality of the idea.

Seth pauses for a moment, considering Leah's question, before responding, "Not everything needs to be useful, Leah."

"Yeh," Milly starts, "like your appendix!"

"Yeh," Seth agrees, rolling out from under the table to talk to them properly. "They're weird. What's your favourite organ?"

Leah laughs at them. That business idea seemed to last about as long as the rest of their ideas.

A knock at the door interrupts the two kids as they talk about how an organ is also a gigantic instrument, as well as something in your body.

Charlie, Harry, and Sue only left to get their pizza about 5 minutes ago.

Leah gets up to answer the door and is surprised to see Sam, her ex-fiancé, standing there. Milly jumps up excitedly when she sees him.

"Sam!" she exclaims, running towards him with a big smile on her face.

He smiles back at Milly, still speechless after coming face-to-face with Leah.

"What are you doing here? Are you and Leah friends again?" Milly asks excitedly. He doesn't know how to answer this. He still cares about Leah, but he just isn't in love with her anymore. They had fun when they were together, and he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy her company. Emily was struggling too; she and Leah were so close before Sam imprinted. Emily had always been there for Leah, and the sudden shift in their friendship had left her feeling lost and hurt. She couldn't help but wonder if things would ever go back to how they used to be. He looks at Leah with a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. Leah takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself before responding to Milly's question.

"No, Mills," she says softly. "Sam and I are not friends again."

As Leah speaks, Sam's eyes look down, and he glances at the ground before meeting Leah's eyes again. He felt so guilty for causing the rift between them and wished he could turn back time. Despite the pain, Leah couldn't help but notice the vulnerability in Sam's gaze, making her heart ache with conflicting emotions. She was angry at him for what he had done, but at the same time, she couldn't deny the lingering feelings she still had for him. It was a complicated mix of anger, hurt, and longing that made it difficult for Leah to fully let go of their past.

Milly's face falls, thinking that what she had been wishing for has finally come true. They were both so important to her, and she was struggling to decide where her loyalties truly lay. Milly had always been the peacemaker between Leah and Sam, but now she finds herself torn between supporting Leah's anger or encouraging forgiveness and reconciliation. The weight of this decision weighed heavily on Milly's shoulders as she desperately hoped for a resolution that would bring happiness to all parties involved.

"Oh, th-that's okay," she stammers, forcing a smile back onto her face. "Maybe soon, though. Right?"

Neither of the adults answer and Leah walks away, passing a confused Seth. Milly's heart sank as she watched Leah walk away, leaving behind a trail of sadness. She knew that the tension between Leah and Sam was affecting everyone around them, including Seth, who seemed to be caught in the crossfire.

"Um," Sam tries to recollect himself. "I'm actually here to pick you up for an afternoon with us."

Milly's eyes widen as she realises.

"Oh no! I completely forgot!" she exclaims, feeling a rush of guilt.

Sam could see how Milly's head was swimming with worry and regret. He quickly reassured her, telling her that they would just reschedule. Milly's shoulders visibly relaxed as Sam's words sank in. She nodded gratefully, appreciating his understanding and support. The weight of her forgetfulness lifted slightly, but she couldn't shake off the lingering guilt for letting down the pack. She had only known them for a week and a half.

A door slam snapped her out of her thoughts.

Leah had watched Milly and Sam with intense jealousy. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help it. Milly was meant to be on her side.

She sat on the closed lid of the toilet, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. She couldn't understand why she felt so threatened by Milly's connection with Sam. Leah knew deep down that her jealousy was unfounded, but it still gnawed at her.

There was a small knock on the door.

"I'll take you home soon, Seth," she called out, looking up to stop the tears from falling down her face.

"It's me," Milly calls out quietly. "Can we talk soon?

A small silence suffocates the atmosphere.

"You can come in."

Shuffling can be heard from outside the door until it slowly creaks open. Leah doesn't look up as she senses the younger girl sitting on the floor in front of her.

"I'm sorry that you're sad about Sam and Emily," she whispered. "But both of them want to be your friends again."

Leah takes a deep breath, trying not to get mad.

"Yeh, I know, Milly. But it's complicated."

"It's not his fault."

"Yeh," she says, cutting off Milly. "So everyone keeps telling me."

Another heavy silence falls over the pair.

Leah looked at Milly with tears in her eyes.

"I loved him so much, Mils. What if he was my last chance?"

"Nope." Milly smiled. "You're too amazing to be alone forever."

The anger started to melt away from Leah's mind, just leaving sadness. She sniffled.

"I don't know, Mils. I think that might have been it for me." She smiles sadly, starting to come to terms with it.

Milly frowns with a confused look on her face.

"No. That's not true," she says with certainty. "Sam just wasn't your soulmate, and that's okay. You'll find them eventually."

Leah looks at the smaller girl, tears starting to well up in her eyes again.

"When did you get so philosophical?" she laughs, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"She's always been like that," Seth points out, coming in through the open door. "She has to be if she's stuck with me as a best friend. Also, the food is here."