BETWEEN THE THREE OF US
Between the Three of Us
One girl. Two boys. One impossible choice.
Moving into a new apartment was supposed to be a fresh start for Eliana Whitmore.
She never expected it to come with two neighbors who would turn her carefully controlled life upside down.
Nathaniel “Nate” Calloway is everything she should probably stay away from—charming, confident, playful, and always ready with a smile that makes it impossible to stay annoyed with him.
Then there's Ilyas Al-Hadid.
Quiet. Mysterious. Observant.
Where Nate says everything, Ilyas says almost nothing. But somehow, he always seems to notice the things Eliana wishes people would notice.
The two boys couldn't be more different.
Yet somehow, they become best friends.
And then they become her best friends.
Three neighbors become inseparable. Late-night conversations turn into inside jokes. Casual dinners become traditions. Friendship slowly becomes something none of them knows how to name.
Until Nate realizes he wants more.
And Ilyas realizes he wants the same thing.
Eliana.
Suddenly, the friendship that brought them together becomes the very thing threatening to tear them apart.
Because how do you choose between two people who have both found a way into your heart?
And what happens when the choice isn't as simple as everyone thinks?
Sometimes, the person standing between two hearts isn't the one you expect.
Some love stories are never meant to be just two people.
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Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Eight: Something Has ChangedEliana noticed the difference before either boy admitted it.It wasn't obvious.Nate and Ilyas still argued about stupid things. They still competed over who could make Eliana laugh harder. They still walked beside her after class and occasionally tried to outdo each other with thoughtful gestures.But something had shifted.They were paying attention to each other now.Too much attention.On Monday morning, Eliana walked into the courtyard and found Nate and Ilyas sitting together on the steps.She stopped.Nate was saying something quietly.Ilyas laughed.Then Nate laughed too.They looked comfortable.Almost too comfortable.Eliana smiled.“Am I interrupting?”Both boys turned.“No,” Nate said quickly.Ilyas shook his head. “Not at all.”Eliana walked over and sat beside them.“So what's funny?”Nate looked at Ilyas.“Tell her.”Ilyas grinned.“No.”Eliana crossed her arms.“Now I definitely want to know.”“It was nothing,” Ilyas said.Nate laughed.“It wasn't nothing.”Eliana star
Last Updated: 2026-09-07
Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Question Neither AskedFriday afternoon was supposed to be simple.Eliana had suggested that the three of them study together at the library before the weekend. Nate agreed immediately. Ilyas agreed a few minutes later.Neither boy mentioned the coffee.Neither mentioned the strange looks they had exchanged the previous day.Neither mentioned the fact that they had both gone home thinking about each other.They simply agreed to meet.But when Nate arrived at the library, he found Ilyas already there.“You're early.”Ilyas looked up from his book.“So are you.”Nate pulled out a chair.“I didn't want to be late.”“Neither did I.”Nate smiled.There was something different about being alone with Ilyas now.Before, it had been easy.They were friends.Two guys who happened to become neighbors.Now every small interaction seemed to carry another meaning.Nate sat down.“What are you studying?”“History.”“That's boring.”“You're studying economics.”“Exactly. Mine is useful.”Ilyas laughed.Nate smiled.He love
Last Updated: 2026-09-04
Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Six: Coffee and ConfusionNate arrived at the café fifteen minutes early.He told himself it was because he didn't want to keep Ilyas waiting.That was reasonable.Completely reasonable.At least, that's what he kept repeating in his head.He chose a table near the window and ordered coffee. His fingers tapped nervously against the table while he watched people pass outside.He had spent half the night thinking about one question.Did Ilyas feel the same way?The thought alone made his stomach twist.Nate wasn't planning to tell him.Not yet.He wasn't even sure he was ready to say it out loud again.He knew he was attracted to Ilyas. That much was becoming impossible to deny.But attraction didn't automatically mean love.And it definitely didn't mean Ilyas felt the same way.The café door opened.Nate looked up.Ilyas walked in.For a second, Nate forgot what he was thinking.Ilyas spotted him and smiled.“Sorry. Am I late?”“No.”“You're early.”“Maybe.”Ilyas sat across from him.“You look nervous.”Nate i
Last Updated: 2026-09-04
Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Five: Oh, ShitNate had always thought he understood himself.He liked girls.That wasn't something he'd ever questioned.He'd had crushes before. He'd flirted before. He'd fallen for someone before.So when he started falling for Eliana, it hadn't confused him.She was beautiful.Funny.Stubborn.Kind.She made him feel things he'd never really known how to explain.Liking her made perfect sense.What didn't make sense was Ilyas.Nate sat on his bed that night, staring at the ceiling.He'd been trying to sleep for almost an hour.It wasn't working.Because every time he closed his eyes, he saw the same thing.Ilyas smiling.Ilyas laughing.Ilyas standing across from him in the lobby earlier that evening.That stupid handshake.The way their eyes had met afterward.Nate sat up.“Why am I thinking about him?”He rubbed his face.It was probably nothing.Maybe he was just tired.Maybe the competition had gotten into his head.Maybe he was jealous because Ilyas was his competition.That explanation mad
Last Updated: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Four: The Wrong Kind of JealousyNate didn't sleep much that night.Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the same thing.Ilyas leaning toward Eliana.Eliana not pulling away.Their kiss.He turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling.It shouldn't have bothered him this much.He knew that.This was a competition.Ilyas had kissed the girl they were both trying to win.Of course Nate was jealous.That was normal.At least, that's what he kept telling himself.But there was something about the memory that wouldn't leave him alone.It wasn't only the fact that Ilyas had kissed her.It was the way Ilyas had looked afterward.Happy.Soft.Almost vulnerable.Nate frowned.Why was he thinking about that?He grabbed his phone and checked the time.2:13 a.m.“Ridiculous,” he muttered.He tossed the phone onto his bedside table.A few seconds later, he picked it up again.He opened his messages.Nate:You awake?He stared at the message.Then deleted it.He opened Ilyas's chat instead.His fingers hovered over the keyboard
Last Updated: 2026-09-02
Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Three: The DateBy Thursday, Eliana had reached a dangerous conclusion.The competition was working.Not because she had chosen either of them.She hadn't.If anything, she was more confused than ever.But Nate and Ilyas had both become so determined to show her why she should choose them that she was beginning to see sides of them she hadn't noticed before.Nate was spontaneous.He could turn an ordinary afternoon into an adventure without even trying.Ilyas was thoughtful.He remembered the smallest details and somehow always knew when something was bothering her.And both of them made her feel safe.That was the problem.She didn't want to lose either of them.Her phone buzzed while she was walking across campus.Nate:Dinner tonight?Before she could reply, another message appeared.Ilyas:Are you free after class?Eliana stopped walking.“You've got to be kidding me.”Amara, who was walking beside her, looked over.“What?”Eliana showed her the messages.Amara stared at the screen.Then she burs
Last Updated: 2026-08-31
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