𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The sunlight poured through the windows, casting a soft glow on the kitchen. The apartment was quiet except for the gentle hum of the refrigerator and the distant sounds of the city outside.

I sat at the counter, my legs tucked under me in one of Y/n's hoodies. My coffee sat untouched on the counter, growing colder with every passing second as my eyes scanned the words on my phone screen.

"Hollywood's Secret Love Triangle: New Details Emerge About Y/n Evans, Madelyn Cline, and a Mystery Actress."

My stomach twisted as I read the headline again. Against my better judgment, I scrolled further.

"There's no doubt the mystery actress still has lingering feelings for Y/n. People close to her say she's been vocal about regrets and how their connection never truly faded."

"There's speculation that Madelyn Cline might be a rebound, even if Y/n doesn't see it that way. But those close to the actress believe Y/n's heart still has unfinished business."

The words stung like salt in an open wound. I felt like the floor had been pulled out from under me.

My thumb hovered over the screen as I scrolled down to see the comments section already filled with theories, speculation, and fans dissecting every moment of my relationship with Y/n.

My chest felt tight, and I set the phone down, staring blankly at the counter. The sound of soft footsteps approached from behind, followed by Y/n's familiar, sleepy voice.

"Morning, babe," she murmured, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. "You're up early. Everything okay?"

I hesitated, my hand brushing over the phone. "Yeah... just reading something."

Her footsteps stopped, and I could feel her eyes on me. "You sure? You look a little... off."

I turned to look at her, and the concern in her eyes was almost enough to break me. Almost. "You should see this."

Her brows furrowed as she moved closer. I handed her the phone, watching as her face shifted from confusion to frustration and finally to anger.

"What the hell is this?" she muttered, scrolling through the article. "Where do they even get this crap? 'Unnamed sources'? What a joke."

I folded my arms, leaning back against the counter. "Maybe it's not true, but it's out there now. People are reading it. Talking about it."

She set the phone down, her hands bracing against the counter as she exhaled sharply. "This is nothing but gossip, Madz. They don't know what they're talking about."

I wanted to believe her. God, I wanted to believe her. But the words in the article had planted a seed of doubt that was hard to ignore.

"It's not just the article, Y/n. It's the fact that someone close to her is saying these things. They're talking about me like I'm just... temporary."

Her head snapped up, her eyes locking with mine. "You're not temporary. You're everything, babe. Like I said, they don't know what they're talking about, they're just trying to screw with us."

I shook my head, my voice trembling. "Then why does it feel like she's always there? Like no matter how much we try to move forward, Scarlett's still this... shadow over us?"

Y/n stepped closer, her hands reaching for mine. "She's not. Madz, she's not a shadow. She's my past. You're my present. My future. You know that"

Her words were earnest, her eyes full of love and desperation. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to let her words wrap around me and take the doubt away.

But the article's words lingered in my mind like a wound that wouldn't heal.

"I know you mean that," I said softly, looking down at our joined hands. "But maybe you don't even realize it. Maybe a part of you still loves her."

"Madz..." she started, but I held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," I said quickly, my voice wavering. "I know you love me, Y/n. But I also think there's a part of you that hasn't let go of her. And that scares me. I mean, think about it. Her coming to the party, coming here to return your jacket, there's just so many things."

She dropped down in front of me, her hands cupping my face. "Listen to me. Scarlett doesn't matter. You're the one I love. You're the one I want. That's not going to change."

The sincerity in her eyes made my heart ache. I nodded slowly, forcing a small smile. "I hear you. I just... I don't know."

She pressed her forehead against mine, her thumbs brushing over my cheeks. "Okay... well I'm not going anywhere babe, I promise."

I closed my eyes, letting myself lean into her touch. But even as she held me, the doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind. Scarlett's name, her presence, felt like an invisible weight between us. And for the first time, I wondered if love alone was enough to carry us through.

𝐘/𝐍'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The bar was dimly lit, with music just loud enough to muffle private conversations but soft enough to let laughter and chatter weave through the air.

Alba, Anna, and I were tucked into a cozy booth in the back, a round of drinks on the table. The tension from the day sat heavy on my shoulders, and I found myself gripping my glass a little too tightly.

"You're brooding," Anna observed, taking a sip of her cocktail and eyeing me over the rim. "It's not a good look."

"I'm not brooding," I muttered, swirling the liquid in my glass absentmindedly.

"You're definitely brooding," Alba said, raising an eyebrow. "You've been staring at that drink like it holds the answer to all your problems."

I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "Do you think Madelyn's really starting to believe what that article said? That I—" I hesitated, lowering my voice, "—that I still have feelings for Scarlett?"

Anna's expression softened, and she reached out to nudge my arm. "Look, Maddie loves you. But you can't blame her for feeling insecure when some 'unnamed source' is out here stirring up drama."

"Exactly," Alba agreed. "You're doing everything you can to show her how much she means to you. But sometimes, words aren't enough. Especially when there's, you know, Scarlett."

I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. "I hate this. I hate that every little thing gets blown up into something it's not."

Anna shrugged, her tone teasing. "You could always run away to a deserted island. No paparazzi, no articles, no drama."

"Just me, Maddie, and a volleyball named Wilson," I deadpanned, earning a laugh from both of them.

Alba patted my shoulder. "I think you're overthinking this. You and Madelyn will figure it out. Just... give her time."

Before I could respond, a familiar laugh cut through the background noise, freezing me in place.

My head snapped up, and my eyes landed on Scarlett sitting at a table near the bar with Florence. She was mid-laugh, her head tilted back slightly, and the sight sent a jolt of mixed emotions through me.

Alba followed my gaze and groaned. "Oh, come on."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Why is she everywhere?"

"For fucks sake," I muttered. Scarlett caught sight of me just then, her laughter fading as her eyes locked onto mine. Her smile softened into something cautious, and she gave a small, almost shy nod.

"Y/n, don't," Alba said firmly, placing a hand on my arm.

"I'm not doing anything!" I protested.

Anna smirked, leaning back in her seat. "You have that look. The 'I'm about to get into trouble' look."

"I do not have a look."

"You do," they said in unison.

Before I could argue, Scarlett stood from her table and started walking toward us. My heart sank, and Alba muttered under her breath, "Great."

"Hey," Scarlett greeted as she reached us, her voice soft. She glanced at Alba and Anna briefly before turning to me. "Can we talk?"

"Not really," Anna cut in, her tone icy. "She's busy."

"It'll just take a minute," Scarlett said smoothly, ignoring her.

I sighed, sliding out of the booth. "I'll be right back," I told Alba and Anna, who both looked less than pleased.

"You better," Anna called after me. "And no funny business!"

Scarlett led me to a quieter corner near the back hallway. The dim lighting cast shadows across her face, but her expression was clear—earnest, with a touch of something I couldn't quite place.

"I saw the article," she began, her voice low. "And I just... I wanted to say I'm sorry. I never wanted to be the reason things got harder for you and Madelyn."

"You sure about that?" I said dryly, crossing my arms.

Her lips twitched, almost like she was holding back a smile. "I mean it, Y/n. I didn't talk to anyone. I don't know who did."

"But they knew enough to give details about the past," I shot back. "Someone close to you, Scarlett."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'll figure out who it was. I swear."

"And what good will that do now?" I asked, my voice rising slightly. "The damage is already done. Madelyn's questioning everything because of you."

Scarlett flinched, but she didn't back down. Instead, she stepped closer, her voice softening. "I didn't ask for this to happen. But if it's stirred something up for you—"

"Don't," I warned, cutting her off.

Her lips curved into a small, almost wistful smile. "I'm just saying... maybe there's some truth to it."

"There's not," I snapped. "Our mistake as you like to call it, is over with, Scarlett."

Her gaze didn't waver. "Is it? Because you don't sound so sure."

I let out a frustrated breath, shaking my head. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to be happy," she said simply. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added in a quiet murmur, "Preferably with me."

My heart clenched at her words, but I pushed the feeling aside. "That's not going to happen."

Scarlett studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. "If you say so."

"You're unbelievable, one second you don't want shit to do with me, you just wanted sex, then, after I move on, you want to start acting like you're all about me? Give it a fucking rest, stop trying to have so much control."

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason you're upset is because you know deep down you still have feelings for me? Even after you claimed you cut the strings? I mean, jeez Y/n/n you went for another actress, are you sure y—"

"Stop. This conversation is over." I said quietly. Scarlett reached for my hand which I quickly pulled away, glaring at her one last time before turning on my heels and going back to Anna and Alba.

Anna's eyes widened as I approached. "That looked intense."

"I don't want to talk about it," I said flatly, grabbing my jacket. "Let's go."

Alba exchanged a look with Anna before standing. "Fine. But you're telling us everything later."

As we walked out of the bar, I couldn't shake the feeling that Scarlett's words would haunt me for a long time. And the thought of explaining all of this to Madelyn made my stomach churn.

I promised her transparency and that's what I was going to give her.

.  .  .

𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

I sat at the edge of the bed, my phone clutched in my hand as my heart thudded painfully in my chest.

The photos were all over my timeline, plastered across every gossip site I could think of. Y/n and Scarlett—standing close in a dimly lit corner, their heads tilted toward each other as if sharing something intimate.

The captions practically wrote themselves:

"Mystery Actress Unveiled! Rekindling Romance? Y/n Evans and Scarlett Johansson Seen in Deep Conversation. "

My stomach churned as I scrolled through the images, each one worse than the last. I knew Y/n. I trusted her. But seeing these—seeing the way Scarlett looked at her—it felt like a sucker punch.

The sound of soft footsteps pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. Y/n appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from her eyes, her hair still messy from bed. She froze when she saw me, her gaze flickering to the phone in my hand.

"Madz," she started, her voice already tinged with worry. "What's wrong?"

I turned the screen toward her, my throat tightening as her face fell. "Care to explain this?" I asked, my voice cracking despite my best efforts to keep it steady.

She stepped closer, her hands raised in a placating gesture. "It's not what it looks like. Scarlett was at the bar last night with Florence. I didn't plan to see her. She came up to me. We just talked for a minute—that's all."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" I shot back, standing. "When exactly were you planning on letting me know you had a little chat with your... whatever she is—after the photos hit the internet?"

"I was going to tell you this morning, and I didn't know any photos were taken," Y/n said quickly, her voice firm but tinged with guilt.

"When I got home last night, you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you. I thought we could talk about it when we were both up."

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Well, congratulations—you're too late."

Y/n's jaw tightened. "Madz, it was innocent. I swear. She's not—"

"She's not what?" I cut her off, my frustration bubbling over. "She's not still in love with you? She's not trying to worm her way back into your life? Because from where I'm standing, it looks a hell of a lot like she's doing exactly that."

Y/n's shoulders sagged, and she ran a hand through her hair. "Babe, I don't care about Scarlett. I care about you. I love you."

"Then why does it feel like she's always there?" I snapped. "Everywhere we turn, she's in the background, in the tabloids, in these stupid articles. And now this? Y/n, I'm trying—I really am—but I can't keep pretending this doesn't hurt."

Y/n stepped closer, her eyes glistening. "I know it hurts. And I hate that you feel this way. But Scarlett doesn't have a hold on me. She doesn't. Everything she's done, everything she's said—it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Doesn't it?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "Because I think it does. I think you don't even realize it, but she still has a hold on you. She's in your heart, Y/n, whether you admit it or not."

Her face crumpled, and she shook her head vehemently. "No, Madz. No. My heart is with you. You have to believe me."

"I believe you love me," I said softly, my eyes filling with tears. "But that doesn't mean I want to keep fighting for a place in your heart."

Her lips parted, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Madz, please. Don't do this. I promised I'd never break your heart..."

"You're not breaking my heart, Y/n," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm breaking my own by staying in something that's only going to hurt more."

We stood in silence, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air. Her hands twitched at her sides, like she wanted to reach for me but didn't know if she should.

The sound of a knock at the door broke the tension. Y/n blinked, looking toward the hallway before glancing back at me.

"Are you expecting someone?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

I wiped at my eyes, taking a shaky breath. "It's Carlacia. I called her earlier. I just need to clear my head."

Y/n's face fell, and she took a step forward. "Babe, wait. Please, let's talk about this."

I leaned up and kissed her cheek, my lips lingering for a moment before I pulled back. "I love you, Y/n. But I just need to not be here for a little, I'll be back, I promise."

She didn't stop me as I grabbed my bag from the couch and walked to the door. Carlacia stood on the other side, her expression shifting from concern to heartbreak as she took in my tear-streaked face.

"I'll call you," I said softly, looking over my shoulder at Y/n one last time.

She nodded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Okay."

And with that, I stepped out of the apartment, leaving behind the person I loved more than anything, even though it felt like it was tearing me apart.