“What’s up with you?” Keith asked while I was absentmindedly stirring some soup in a pot.
“Nothing,” I sighed.
“Are you not feeling well?” He asked, tugging at my arm to make me face him. He put his palm on my forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Do you have a headache?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Looks like you’re not in the mood to cook,” he commented. “You aren’t attentive.”
“Sorry.”
“That’s okay. I have days like that too,” he said, taking the ladle from me.
We cooked in silence until he decided to break it. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if it’s just me overthinking about the situation or the situation is really like that.”
“I don’t understand.”
I shook my head. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing big.”
“Still… can I do something to help?”
“Hey, Keith. You’re a man. So tell me why a man would avoid a woman who he was previously friends with when the woman seemingly did nothing wrong?”
Keith took a lot of time to answer. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in a situation like that. But if I think about it hard, maybe the man started becoming annoyed at her presence. Maybe he doesn’t want to hang out with the woman anymore and didn’t want to be rude and tell that to her directly. So he avoids her.”
My face fell at his reply. “Really?”
So he was annoyed with me. That actually made me mad at Ethan. Wasn’t he the one begging me to hang out with him about two months ago?
“Or the man likes the woman but is in denial. That’s another reason why he would avoid her,” Keith added.
I waved off the second reason. “That one is so not it.”
“Why? Why can’t it be that reason?”
“It’s not a question about if it can be or cannot be. It? shouldn’t? be.”
“What’s the problem with that?” He asked, quirking one eyebrow up which I found annoying because I didn’t know how to do that.
“That would make things complicated for both,” I replied. “Especially if the woman is starting to doubt if what she feels for the man is friendship or something more,” I whispered low enough for Keith to not hear.
“What did you say?”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
“So who is this man who’s avoiding you?”
“It’s no one. I was just curious about it. You see Olivia and Tristan are avoiding each other like the plague so I was wondering what was up with them. As I didn’t want to directly ask them so I thought to ask you.”
And that was the truth, although the matter with Olivia and Tristan was just a save for me from this topic. But Olivia and Tristan avoiding each other was true. I needed to ask her about this but delayed it because I was busy thinking about what was up with Ethan these days.
Keith didn’t look convinced but didn’t prod much into the matter either.
I didn’t see Ethan for the whole day. It seemed like he was eating lunch out after work for the past few days otherwise he would mostly make time to come and eat at home because that was what was best suited for him, he had said.
When dinner time rolled around, Ethan made conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Jenson every day and when he was done eating, he’d immediately retreat to his room or go out with Heather or for work and would return late at night, long after everyone went to sleep.
This continued for a few more days. I tried to catch Ethan alone for at least a few minutes and he’d always had the same reply for me, that he was busy and we should talk some other time.
That definitely told me that something was wrong.
“How were your exams?” I heard Olivia’s gloomy voice one early morning.
“Quite good. What about yours?”
“Fine,” she grumbled.
“So I had been meaning to ask about this but didn’t because you had your exams but now that it’s over,” I looked over at her as I poured coffee in two cups. “What’s going on between you and Tristan?”
Olivia didn’t seem happy about the question I asked. I passed her a cup of coffee and took one for myself.
“What do you think is going on? We’re just following your orders. You wanted us to not hang out with each other.” Her tone was a bit snappy and she sounded a little mad at me.
“One, I did not order you to do that. I said it would be best for us if you do so. Two, I’m not talking about how you’re not hanging out with him. I’m talking about the tension between you guys. Whenever he comes over, you two avoid each other. I’ve noticed you don’t look at each other or even have small talk. I didn’t mean you should completely cut off contact with him. I’m surprised that even Tristan is behaving like that. The Tristan that I knew a month back had feelings for you and wanted to be with you whenever possible but now he doesn’t come over often and whenever he does, you two act like the other doesn’t exist,” I replied, taking a sip from my coffee.
Olivia ran her fingers through her hair and tugged at the roots. “Do I have to report everything that happens between us to you?” She asked harshly.
“Yes, if it’s serious and problems could crop up because of it.” I said matter-of-factly.
“Then I don’t have anything to tell you. As for the matter between Tristan and I, it’s best if it’s left alone.”
We sat in silence until I finished my coffee. “Okay, I trust you. Just don’t do anything stupid.” I stood up, washed the cup and set it to dry.