Jealousy and Trust
Red sat under a tree, taking advantage of a clearing in the autumn to draw. She loved these quiet moments when she could let her creativity run free. As she sketched a landscape, she felt a presence beside her and looked up. Aziz approached her, a hesitant smile on his lips.
“Hi, Red,” he said as he sat down next to her.
Red was wary, remembering the last time he had come to talk to her. “Hi, Aziz,” she replied, keeping a certain distance.
Aziz seemed to understand her wariness and apologized immediately. “I wanted to apologize for the other day. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Red nodded slightly, accepting his apology without letting his guard down. “Thank you.”
Aziz continued, explaining the reason for his presence. "Actually, I heard you're good at chemistry. And I could really use some help with my homework."
Red hesitated, still wary in case this was a ploy to get closer to her. "Are you sure this isn't just an excuse for something else?"
Aziz smiled and shook his head. "No, I promise. I get it, you're not interested. All I want is your help with chemistry."
Red watched Aziz for a moment, looking for signs of lying. But he seemed sincere, and she finally agreed to give him a chance. "Okay, I'll help you. But no innuendos, okay?"
Aziz nodded vigorously. "I promise. Thanks, Red."
Meanwhile, Chloe was with Bridget and Ella, sharing a romantic moment with her two friends. Bridget and Ella held hands, exchanging knowing glances and tender smiles. Chloe, touched by this sight, couldn't help but smile.
"You two are so adorable," Chloe said, smiling. "Your love is so inspiring."
Ella blushed slightly and smiled at Bridget. "Thank you, Chloe. We're happy to have found this connection."
Bridget added, "And we're happy to see you and Red happy. You two are truly made for each other."
Chloe nodded, touched by her friends' words. "Thank you, girls. Red is really..."
But when she looked at Red and Aziz further away, she couldn't finish her sentence and a wave of jealousy rose up inside her. Remembering the last time she had seen them talking, Chloe clenched her fists, worried about what Aziz might want. She didn't want him to get close to Red. Red was hers.
Determined, Chloe approached them, her gaze fixed on the boy. As she approached Red and Aziz, she glared at the latter, who immediately felt intimidated. If looks could kill, he would be dead by now.
"What are you doing here, Aziz?" Chloe asked in a cold voice.
Aziz held up his hands in a peace sign. "I was just asking Red for help with my chemistry homework."
Chloe narrowed her eyes, still wary. "And you think I'm going to take your word for it?"
Red stepped in, placing a calming hand on Chloe's arm. "That's right, Chloe. He asked me for help, and I accepted."
Chloe relaxed a little, but remained on guard. She sat down next to Red, casting one last wary glance at Aladdin's son. "Fine. But if you do anything wrong, you'll have to deal with me."
Aziz nodded, grateful for the chance he was given. “I promise I won’t do anything wrong. Thanks, Chloe.”
Aziz began asking questions about his chemistry homework. Red explained simple concepts to him, Chloe by his side. She was still wary, but over time, seeing that Aziz wasn’t trying anything wrong and that he was only discussing chemistry, she allowed herself to relax. Especially when Red, seeing her discomfort, took her hand and laced their fingers together before leaning down and kissing her cheek.
“Relax Chloe, I’m yours.” She whispered warmly in her ear, while Aziz was too focused on an equation.
Chloe turned to Red and smiled softly. “I just want to protect you.”
Red smiled back. “I know, Chloe. Thanks.” And besides… you’re adorable when you’re jealous.”
Chloe felt her cheeks burn as she blushed. But her embarrassment was quickly forgotten when Red leaned down to kiss her tenderly.
“Red, I don’t understand the question…” Aziz trailed off when he looked up and saw the girls kissing. “Oh… sorry. I… I didn’t mean to disturb.”
He lowered his head guiltily, and Red pulled away from Chloe to turn to him. “Sorry, I’m yours, I… Oooh!” Chloe had just elbowed him in the ribs, and was frowning. “Chloe! You know exactly what I meant!”
But Chloe was in a playful mood. She pouted, and crossed her arms as she pretended to walk away. Only Red didn’t believe it, and she pulled him close again, wrapping an arm around his waist. Chloe quickly gave in, and rested her head on his shoulder. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Red kissed her forehead. “No problem. You’ll just owe me a massage for your trouble.”
Chloe chuckled. “Deal.”