Chapter 3
I wanted nothing more than to rewind time, to pretend none of this had ever happened. Instead, I pushed him away and threw the umbrella at his feet.
“How dare you show your face here? Just leave me alone!” I screamed, my voice raw with
pain.
Tears streamed down my face, uncontrollable and hot. My body trembled, but the rain couldn’t compare to the icy coldness that had settled in my heart.
It was the first time I’d ever raised my voice, let alone my hand, at him.
He flinched, his hand reaching out to me then withdrawing. His eyes were red–rimmed, his face a picture of confusion and hurt.
Seeing him like that fueled my anger. I slapped him again, hard, tears flowing freely now.
He grabbed my wrists, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“Ava, please don’t be angry. I’m so sorry, so sorry…” he murmured, his voice thick with
unshed tears.
The umbrella lay forgotten on the ground. The wind whipped our hair together as the rain. soaked us to the bone.
L
For the first time, I felt him tremble against me.
His apology, laced with genuine pain, softened the hard knot in my chest.
Back at the apartment, I went straight to the guest room, too exhausted to fight, to think. I collapsed onto the bed and drifted off to a restless sleep.
In my dreams, I saw the boy I fell in love with. He was wearing his favorite white shirt gazing at me with love and sincerity. “Ava, trust me,” he whispered. “When I’m more established, I’ll give you the world. I promise, you’ll be the happiest girl alive.”
He blushed, looking away shyly. His reddening ears were the most innocent confession of
love.
Maybe I loved him too much, clung to those empty promises for seven long years.
But the scene shifted, and his face turned cold, his eyes devoid of any warmth. He held Sarah’s hand, looking at me with chilling indifference. “Please don’t bother us. We’ve decided to be together. I don’t love you anymore, Ava,”
The next morning, I woke up to a gentle knock on the door. We stood on opposite sides of the door, speaking in hushed tones. It was our way of making up after a fight. A way we
always found our way back to each other.
The scent of cigarettes wafted through the space between the door and the frame. Liam rarely smoked, only when he was incredibly stressed.
“Ava, I know I messed up. I hurt you. But please, try to understand…” His voice was hoarse,
thick with emotion but also stubborn.
“Sarah and I… we go way back. Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, even high school. We were always deskmates. We share a bond…”
“Even though we drifted apart for a while, she’s always held a special place in my heart. I can’t bear the thought of her having any regrets.”
“Ava… she has… she was diagnosed a few months back. It’s not good. She doesn’t have much
time…
A choked sob came from his side of the door. The sound of his fist hitting the wall, once, twice, followed. Like he was trying to punch away his guilt and pain.
After a while, his voice, calmer now, resumed. “All she wants is to experience life to the fullest, to be a bride, just once. How could I deny her that?”
“Ava, you’re kind, you have the biggest heart. I know you want to help her fulfill her dying wish, right?”
“I know it hurts, but I know you understand. You always have.”
“Once she’s… gone… I’ll devote myself to you. We’ll get married, have kids, I’ll work hard, fulfill all my promises to you.”
