Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I got together with Lucas Miller.

Yes, Lucas Miller—the boy who'd hit me with his basketball that day.

He'd added me on WeChat, specifically to apologize.

I told him it was fine—after all, I hadn't even gotten a scratch.

But he was so worried, keepsaying that if I got hurt, he'd pay for the medical bills.

I told him I was okay more than once.

Maybe I'd cried too hard that night, making the whole thing seem bigger than it was.

We chatted on and off.

He'd send me good morning and good night messages occasionally, and I'd reply with a few words. Our conversations were neither awkward nor too familiar.

His Moments were full of life—photos from his trips, posts about basketball. He documented every part of his life, and looking at them made me feel happy.

We got closer because of a photo he posted on Moments—a picture of a kitten.

The caption was [Princess has been eating a lot lately.]

I had a cat of the same breed.

Even their names matched perfectly.

I'd named my cat Prince.

Lucas and I suddenly had something to talk about. He told me he was a new cat owner and had a lot to learn.

I'd had Prince for two years. I'd bought this Scottish Fold with Ethan back in our third year of high school.

Though I'd been the one to pick him out, Ethan had paid for him.

I'd even told Ethan we'd raise Prince together.

But Ethan had never cared about that—he'd even forgotten we'd bought a cat in the first place.

Sometimes, I'd run into Lucas on campus. He'd smile and say hi, share stories about raising cats with me, send me good morning and good night messages. A few times, when I forgot to eat breakfast, he'd even buy me some and bring it over.

All the things Ethan had never done for me.

Slowly, we became good friends.

I didn't know when he'd started liking me.

All I remembered was that the night after I broke up with Ethan, he'd found me.

We sat on the grass in the playground. I was in the same position as before—burying my face in my arms, crying my heart out.

He just sat beside me, comforting me.

The next day, I got a message from him.

He said he wanted to court me.

I didn't know how I felt about Lucas, or how to reply.

Lucas said I shouldn't feel pressured. He asked for some time—if I still hadn't said yes by New Year's, he'd back off on his own.

It seemed like a good plan.

After breaking up with Ethan, my best friend had advised me to jump into a new relationship quickly—don't hold onto the past, or I'd just keep loving Ethan in silence.

I didn't think that would happen.

I didn't like Ethan anymore.

But that didn't mean I was ready to consider Lucas right away.

Lucas was so patient. He'd buy me breakfast, wait for me outside my classroom before class ended, send me flowers from time to time, ask me to watch him play basketball, take me to the movies and music festivals. When my stomach hurt, he'd rush to the pharmacy to buy medicine, then run to the girls' dormitory to find me. Even when he went to parties, he'd bring me along.

All the things I'd never experienced with Ethan.

We weren't a couple, but we were closer than most couples.

Lucas showed his love through actions. He never left me waiting for days for a reply—instead, he'd ask me over and over what I wanted to eat the next day.

On New Year's Eve, the school held a countdown party.

Lucas took me to an overpass. I asked him why we were there.

He said, "You like fireworks, right?"

I nodded.

Then he told me to close my eyes and count down from ten to one.

I knew it was a cheesy surprise, but I still felt my heart flutter.

Because no one had ever been so thoughtful, so willing to plan a surprise for me.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

...

He covered my eyes with his hands from behind. I could only see the light through the gaps between his fingers.

"Three!"

"Two!"

I saw the river below the overpass—its sparkling surface glowing in the twilight.

"One!"

The fireworks exploded. Lucas took his hands away, and I looked up at the sky.

The fireworks were brilliant, their sounds echoing in my ears. There were other people around—couples, groups of friends. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Happy New Year, Lucas Miller," I said first.

Lucas looked at me, then smiled.

"Happy New Year, Elena Bennett."

We stood by the bridge, watching the fireworks.

"Lucas Miller, do you like me?" I asked, still staring at the sky.

I'd asked Ethan that question countless times. Now, I was asking Lucas.

Lucas froze for a second, then broke into a grin.

He took my hand and said, "Yes."

"I like you so much. Lucas Miller likes Elena Bennett."

Ethan Carter's Perspective

The First Day After Breaking Up with Elena Bennett

When it came to his romantic life over the past twenty years, Ethan Carter always felt it was as messy as a tangled ball of yarn.

He couldn't even remember when he'd said yes to Elena's confession, or when they'd officially gotten together.

Elena said it was during a PE class.

He really couldn't recall. All he remembered was that in high school, after the senior had rejected him, that girl—Elena—had kept bringing him breakfast and milk every day.

She loved to smile—she'd give him a sweet grin, showing her white teeth and the faint dimples on her cheeks. Those memories were still fuzzy in his mind.

As Ethan slowly recalled these forgotten moments, he realized he'd never really cared about Elena.

Whether it was the cat Elena had raised, or that rainy day she'd told him about, he couldn't remember any of it. To be honest, he'd never wanted to remember.

Did he find her annoying? Probably not—otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to date her. He'd never been the type to ask for trouble.

She wasn't stunningly beautiful—she wasn't one of the top beauties on campus, and she didn't leave a deep impression. But back then, the senior had just rejected him, and Elena had appeared right around that time. Since she liked him so much, he'd thought—why not just give it a try? That's what he'd thought during that PE class.

So that's why he'd said yes to her confession.

They'd been together for four years—out of convenience.

Elena was like a bright spot in his otherwise dark life.

This girl was easy to embarrass—she'd blush and get flustered over a few words from him, get excited for days if he agreed to do something with her, and be overjoyed just because he was willing to spend time with her.

Back then, he hadn't thought much of it. If she liked it, fine. Being a boyfriend was just a title to him—basically, just a guy who accompanied her.

Elena loved being around him. Even if he didn't talk to her, she could chatter on and on.

She always had so much to say.

It annoyed him. He didn't like how talkative Elena was, so most of the time, he'd just kiss her.

It was the only way to make the world quiet.

What he liked most about her was seeing her shy face.

What he hated most was hearing her ramble on and on.

It was contradictory.

He didn't understand his feelings for Elena, so he'd thrown himself into physics, into his studies—into anything that let him escape the mess of emotions.

He really didn't know how to get along with girls. Besides Elena, he'd never gotten close to any other woman.

All those girls who liked him, who tried every way to get close to him—whether they were pretty or not—looked the same to him.

Only Elena was different.

He didn't reply to her messages because he found her noisy, annoying. He liked silence.

Sometimes, she was just like those other girls—asking him silly questions, sending him useless good mornings and good nights. But every time, he'd find himself amused. This girl never gave up on him, no matter how cold he was.

She'd still follow him around.

She didn't need him to help her up—she'd stand on her own.

Ethan had never thought she'd leave.

In his eyes, it was only natural.

How could Elena ever leave him? She liked him so much—her heart was always so warm, so full of love for him.

But he didn't like her that much.

He didn't know how much he liked Elena, but he was sure it was a lot less than she liked him.

Ethan thought Elena was just throwing a tantrum. She'd probably send him a message that night and make up with him.

So when they stopped talking, he didn't go to find her.

But she didn't send a message.

Not that night, not the next day.

And so it went on for two weeks.

He heard the senior had come back.

The senior added him on WeChat, and they got to know each other again.

Even though they chatted and met up, he felt nothing when he looked at her. His heart no longer raced.

He didn't like the senior anymore.

He was sure of that.

During that time, he'd seen Elena a few times. Once, he saw her walking with a boy.

At the time, he'd thought—they hadn't broken up, they were just not talking. Why was she being so close to another guy?

He could feel his heart hurting. But what was that feeling—like his heart was being squeezed?

Panic lingered in his chest every day.

Then, one night, the senior found him and confessed her feelings.

It was what he'd hoped for back then.

But he rejected her.

He didn't like the senior anymore—he never would again.

The senior had kissed him suddenly. He swore he'd been stunned.

But then he saw Elena—standing not far away.

She looked at him, then turned and left.

He realized something was wrong and pushed the senior away.

But it was too late. That night, Elena had broken up with him.

"Ethan Carter, I don't want you anymore."

"I won't like you anymore."

Every word, every sentence—they cut him like a knife.

Four Months After Breaking Up with Elena Bennett

He'd rejected every girl who confessed to him. He didn't like any of them—they were all empty and superficial.

Walking around campus, he thought of her often.

He thought of all the time they'd spent together.

But then he heard the news.

Elena was with Lucas Miller.

He let out a soft laugh.

Elena Bennett, why are you so cruel? Why did you forget me so quickly?

Five Months After Breaking Up with Elena Bennett

He started watching her. He saw Lucas come find her every day—bringing her breakfast, doing all the things she wanted to do with her.

She laughed so happily. She'd laughed like that with him too.

Pure and innocent.

But now, those laughs were just memories.

A bitter feeling spread in his chest, impossible to hide. He looked through the window into the room. The afternoon sun cast dappled tree shadows inside.

He saw them—Elena and Lucas—kissing.

His Elena Bennett was no longer his.

He'd never felt jealousy before. He'd never thought there was anyone or anything worth being jealous of. But the moment he heard Elena had a boyfriend, something inside him snapped.

He suddenly realized—they'd broken up. It had been five months.

Elena didn't like him anymore. She had someone new to love.

For the first time, he understood—he and Elena Bennett had no future left. They were completely, utterly over.