182 Jealousy and Envy

Elle had only met Adam's friends twice before but she was starting to recognize and become more familiar with them all. Adam left her to help some of the others setup the campfire, leaving Elle to her own devices.

Elle glanced around awkwardly, looking for something she could help with when she spotted one of the other girls, Ruth, struggling with a tent. The tents were large, big enough to fit four people, so they didn't need to set up as many. Half the group was helping setup the campfire while the other half set up the tents.

"Here, let me help you." Elle said, taking the tent poles from her.

"Thanks." Ruth said with a grateful smile.

"How do you know the others?" Elle asked to break the awkward silence. "Did you also go to school with them?"

"No, no. I wasn't clever enough for that." Ruth said with a laugh. "I started dating Alan and he introduced me to the rest of them. He met most of them through business."

"How long have you guys been dating?"

"About five years now."

"How nice." Elle commented.

"I should be saying that to you." Ruth teased. "How long have you and Adam been seeing each other?"

"Just over a year now."

"Wow. He was always good at keeping secrets but none of us would have ever guessed that he would have been able to hide something this big."

Elle flushed. "I hope you don't think badly of him for it. I also wanted to keep quiet about our relationship at the beginning."

"Of course not. I understand why you both did it. There are a lot of eyes on Adam." It was unintentional, but for the briefest moment Ruth's eyes drifted to Amelia.

"That's right, but even after a year nothing has happened. Maybe his presence isn't as big as I thought." Elle laughed.

"I can help you guys finish if you need a hand." Amelia suddenly said as she joined the two.

"Sure." Elle said with a smile, handing Amelia the other end of the tent poles.

Amelia was in no way unpleasant but her presence had put an end to the conversation between Elle and Ruth. Neither of the two girls wanted to mention Adam in front of her.

After working in silence for a moment the unspoken person called out.

"Elle," Adam called, "Can you help me for a minute?"

"Sure!" Elle called back. "Sorry guys, I'll be right back."

Elle hurried over to Adam, leaving Amelia and Ruth alone.

"You know, don't you?" Amelia asked once Elle was gone.

"Know what?" Ruth replied.

"You know that I like Adam."

Ruth's hands froze for a moment before continuing their work. "Of course I know. I've known you for five years now, I'd like to think I know you well."

"We're good friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are."

"Then would you help me?" Amelia asked.

Again Ruth hesitated.

"I'm not asking for that much." Amelia said, trying to reassure her. "I don't want to break them up, I just want to know if I ever had a chance at all. I tried for years but he never looked at me twice. I just want to know what won his heart over. If I could just know that much I'd be satisfied."

"If I can get you closure than I'll try, but I can't give you anything more than that."

"I know. Thank you."

Ruth felt a sourness in her heart. She liked Elle, and Adam had always been a good friend, but so had Amelia. It was hard to know that one friend's happiness was another friend's torture.

As if the others could hear her thoughts out loud Ruth heard laughter from where the others were setting up the campfire. She looked over and saw Adam smiling brightly, sharing some sort of joke with Elle who was bent over laughing.

Amelia also looked over. She watched Adam's smile.

To begin with a smile from Adam was a rare thing but this smile wasn't the small chuckle or the satisfied smirk she knew. The smile he wore now was a big grin. A smile that reached even his eyes.

It was a smile that Amelia had been trying to earn from him since she met him. That smile that she never received was easily obtained by this girl.

Not by herself, or by any of the other girls who had tried to win his heart in the past, but by Elle who came into his life last. It wasn't fair.

Amelia's whole body trembled. She no longer knew what the emotion she felt was. She could no longer separate jealousy and envy.

As those emotions washed over her she fell deeper and deeper, because, though Amelia didn't know it yet herself, she had already fallen into a dark hole.