Love At Last

Chapter 123Cayden and Jarod were stunned by Lily’s audacity. They had been looking forward to their date with her all week and had even made reservations. But now, she was telling them that she had canceled their plans and would be going out with someone else instead.

“What do you mean you’re going out with someone else?” Cayden asked, his voice rising in frustration.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go out,” Lily replied calmly. “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt your feelings, but I think it’s better if we just stay friends.”

Jarod was equally taken aback. “But we’ve been planning this for days,” he protested. “You can’t just bail on us like this.”

“I’m not bailing on you,” Lily said firmly. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go out. I hope you understand.”

With that, Lily walked over to the couch and picked up her jacket. She didn’t even look back as she left the house, leaving Cayden and Jarod standing there in stunned silence.

For a few moments, the two men just stared at each other, trying to process what had just happened. Then, Cayden’s frustration boiled over.

“I can’t believe she would do this to us,” he exclaimed. “We were so excited about tonight, and now she’s just blowing us off for someone else.”

Jarod shook his head. “I don’t think that’s what’s happening,” he said. “She’s just not interested in us like that. We need to respect her decision and move on.”

Cayden was having none of it. “No way,” he said angrily. “We can’t just let her walk all over us like this. We need to do something.”

Jarod sighed, knowing that Cayden could be stubborn when he wanted to be. “What do you suggest we do?” he asked.

Cayden thought for a moment before replying. “We need to confront her,” he said. “We need to make her see that what she’s doing is wrong.”

Jarod shook his head again. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said. “We’ll just end up making things worse.”

But Cayden was already heading for the door. “I’m doing this, with or without you,” he called over his shoulder.

Jarod ignored him completely, which passed him off.

That’s when Cayden launched into a heated tirade.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

“You always do this,” Cayden complained, his voice rising with each word. “You never want to stand up for yourself. You’re always so worried about what other people think.”

“That’s not true,” Jarod shot back. “I just don’t think it’s worth getting into a fight over.”

“A fight?” Cayden repeated, incredulous. “I’m not talking about a fight. I’m talking about standing up for ourselves.”

Jarod rolled his eyes. “You always have to be so dramatic,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s worth getting worked up over.”

Cayden was getting more and more frustrated. “You’re always so calm and collected,” he said. “It’s like nothing ever bothers you. How can you be so apathetic about this?”

Jarod stopped walking and turned to face him. “I’m not apathetic,” he said firmly. “I just don’t think it’s worth getting into a fight over. We can’t control how Lily feels about us, and getting angry about it won’t change anything.”

Cayden shook his head, refusing to back down. “You’re always so passive,” he said. “Sometimes you have to take a stand and fight for what you want.”

Jarod’s frustration was starting to show. “I am not passive,” he said, his voice rising. “I just don’t see the point in arguing over something that we can’t change.”

Cayden was now practically yelling. “That’s the problem,” he said. “You’re so afraid of change that you won’t even try to make things better.”

The argument was starting to escalate, and it was clear that both boys were getting worked up. They were standing face to face, their fists clenched at their sides, and it looked like things might turn violent.

But then, something unexpected happened. Jarod burst out laughing.

Cayden looked at him in confusion. “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

Jarod shook his head, still chuckling. “We’re being ridiculous,” he said. “We’re arguing over something that doesn’t even matter. We’re both exhausted, and we’re taking it out on each other.”

Cayden looked at him, the anger draining from his face. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “This is stupid. I’m sorry.

Lily had a plan. She knew that Cayden and Jarod were having trouble getting along, and she was determined to help them work it out. She had planned to cancel their date and tell them that she was going out with someone else, in the hopes that it would force them to confront their problems. And things were working like clock work.

Later that night, Cayden and Jarod sat down to talk. They both knew that they needed to address their problems if they were going to move forward.

Jarod spoke first. “Look, Cayden,” he said. “I know we’ve had our differences in the past. But I want to put that behind us and move forward.”

Cayden nodded, relieved. “Me too,” he said. “I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

Jarod smiled. “Good,” he said. “Because I have to tell you something. I really like Lily, and I want to be friends with her.”

Cayden looked at him in surprise. “Really?” he asked.

Jarod nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I think that role suits me better. And I don’t want it to cause any problems between us.”

Cayden smiled. “That’s great,” he said. “I’m happy for you.”

Cayden continued to think about Lily constantly since their date, wondering how he could win her heart. He knew that he needed to make a move soon, but he didn’t want to come on too strong.

One day, he decided to take a chance and visit her at her house. He nervously walked up to her front door, his heart pounding in his chest.

As he knocked on the door, an elderly woman answered. “Hello there,” she said kindly. “Can I help you?”

Cayden smiled at her. “Hi, I’m here to see Lily,” he said.

The woman smiled back. “Oh, you’re one of Lily’s friends,” she said. “Please come in.”

Cayden followed her inside, feeling a bit apprehensive. He had never met Lily’s grandmother before, and he wasn’t sure what to expect.

As they walked into the living room, Cayden saw Lily sitting on the couch, looking surprised to see him. “Cayden, what are you doing here?” she asked.

Cayden shrugged. “I just wanted to stop by and say hi,” he said.

Lily smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He couldn’t help but feel like he had a higher chance of getting her now that he was in her house, talking to her grandmother.

The three of them chatted for a while, laughing and getting to know each other. Cayden found himself feeling more and more comfortable around Lily, and he couldn’t help but feel like there was a connection between them.

As the visit came to an end, Cayden said goodbye to Lily and her grandmother, promising to come back and visit soon.

As he walked out of the house, he couldn’t help but feel hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, he had a chance with Lily.

The two boys made up, and Lily eventually returned to the apartment. Jarod left, and Lily noticed that he didn’t seem angry or upset.

Cayden told her that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and that he loved her. She asked about Jarod, and Cayden told her that they had made up and that he wasn’t going to be a problem anymore.

Lily smiled, feeling relieved. She knew that things wouldn’t always be perfect between the three of them, but she was glad that they were all working to make things better.