Chapter 18
“I only helped Alina a few times because we’re senior and junior from the same program, and she’s a girl,” Vincent said with a sigh, his gaze heavy as it drifted toward the horizon.
“Beyond that, I never thought about anything else.”
ingo shook his head with a wry smile. “Senior, are you genuinely clueless, or are you just protending to he?”
“You and Alina completely forgot the boundaries between men and women. You shared every little detail with each other, ate every meal together alone–aren’t those things that only a couple would do?”
His words struck Vincent like a thunderclap, leaving him stunned and reeling.
He opened his mouth, trying to come up with an excuse, but no words came out.
Thiago didn’t push further. He finished his meal in silence and left.
As someone who had been Vincent’s roommate since undergrad, Thiago had witnessed his relationship with Kaylee from the very beginning–how they met, fell in love, and reached.
this point.
At first, he thought their relationship wouldn’t last long, assuming it was just a casual fling. But four years later, they were still together.
Vincent had even said a year ago that they’d get married once Kaylee graduated.
Thiago had thought he would witness their love story unfold into a happily–ever–after Instead, he ended up seeing a love that had once been a sturdy ship sink slowly into
oblivion.
Graduation season had become breakup season, and even Vincent and Kaylee couldn’t
escape it.
Vincent stared at the horizon, holding back tears.
In his heart, he repented, “Baby, this time I truly know I was wrong.
Finally, We Got Lost
He Wanted to beg for her forgiveness, but where could he even begin to look for her?
The out there for a long time before finally getting up and leaving
That afternoon, Vincent continued to make mistakes in the lab, though not as frequently as in the morning. Before leaving, he called out to Alina
be
“Alina, wait a moment.
Meuring him call her name, Alina’s mind raced with possibilities.
Was he about to confess to her? Had he decided to move on from Kaylee and be with her? Or was he going to apologize for his previous behavior?
Excitement bubbled within her as she looked at Vincent, her face lighting up with a hopeful
smile,
When the other students had left the lab, Vincent finally spoke.
“I think it’s time we clarify our relationship.”
Alina’s heart pounded, and she could hardly wait to reply, “I agree!”
But in the next instant, her hopes plummeted into despair.
“I’ve only ever seen you as a fellow student. From beginning to end, the only person I’ve ever had feelings for is Kaylee. If I’ve done anything that led you to misunderstand, I’m
truly sorry.”
Vincent’s tone was serious, and every word carried weight.
Alina stood frozen, staring at him in disbelief.
“What… what did you just say?”
Vincent repeated his words, and her expression changed dramatically.
“So you never had feelings for me? Not even a little?”
Vincent nodded.
Alikpressed on, “Then what was everything you did before supposed to mean?”
The care he showed her, the gifts he waited in line to buy, the breakfasts he brought her early in the morning what were all those supposed to mean?
Vincent replied calmly, “It was simply because you’re one of the few girls on the team, and as my junior, I wanted to help you out of respect for that bond
I never intended to mislead you, and for that, I apologize.
His words hit her like a slap in the face. Alina muttered to herself, “A bond between
classmates never intended..
Then she laughed bitterly. “So I should be thanking you for all your help, then?”
She never imagined that Vincent would say such things.
Now that Kaylee was gone, he couldn’t even take responsibility for his actions.
Instead of confronting the tangled emotions between the three of them, he was making
excuses to evade it all.
As she stared at Vincent, Kaylee’s earlier warning came to mind.
Vincent would abandon her just as easily as he had abandoned Kaylee. And, as it turned out, he had never chosen her in the first place.
“I’ll ask you one last time,” she said, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. “Did you truly never love me, not even a little?”
12:10
