Amanda.
"Amanda Wealth, Will you marry me?"
He opened the little box and revealed a beautiful ring. The type of ring no girl can ever refuse.
"It's only gold, but I'll get you a new one when I can. If you say yes,"
She stared at the ring without blinking.
"I know it's very early, But I don't know if I can wait any longer,"
"Jung," She looked up from the ring and faced him.
"Yes?" He looked at her, his eyes full of love.
"I love you, I do and I...,"
"You what?"
"It's just too much to handle, I don't know...,"
He placed the ring inside the box and put it on a table.
"Why don't you understand Amanda, I just can't wait. I know something that I shouldn't know,"
She frowned.
"What do you know?"
"I've already said too much,"
"What do you know, Seong Jung-Wook?" She demanded, taking a step back.
"You took my full name,"
"What?"
"You took my full name, You never do that,"
"What are you talking about, Jung?" She seemed genuinely confused.
"Amanda, I know everything. Each and everything,"
"What is this 'Each and Everything'?"
"When we kissed for the first time, you were crying. You were crying because your heart was broken. You never told me that but I know. And I know who broke your heart,"
"What? How can you know this all?"
"It was Ansel, right? You've always loved him," He looked down and shook his head.
"I've ignored this fact because I know that you love me. Not more than him but you do and you've been sincere with me. But, I saw the way that you look at him. How you try to make him jealous, Amanda... I don't think this will work out,"
"What the hell? What... Why are you doing this?"
"Amy, I just want you to be happy. And I don't think I can give you what Ansel could,"
"Jung, are you out of your mind?" She stepped towards him and took his hands in hers.
"Amanda, I love you so much that it hurts. So, I'm letting you go. It wouldn't be love if I forced you to stay," A tear trickled down his cheek.
"Jung, No. I've forgotten everything about him... I love you,"
"You can never forget him, He's your first love and he's my brother. I know he loves you. Amanda, I can't ruin two lives,"
"Baby, How... how can you know this all?" She squeezed his hands, afraid that he would snatch his hands away.
"When we first met, I liked you instantly. I found Marie's number and talked to her about you asking her to keep this a secret. Just before our first kiss one day I was asking her about you and something about Ansel kissing you slipped out of her mouth. But, she didn't tell me anything else. It's not her fault, The rest I figured out myself,"
"J-jung," Tears started running down her cheeks.
"I will always love you, I can never hate you. But it's time that we let go of each other," He rubbed his eyes, freed his hands from her grip, and cupped her face with trembling hands.
"I'll stay away from here and when... when I'll be ready, I'll come back. We can... w-we can still be friends," New tears started forming in his eyes and his voice started breaking.
"Jung, I love you. I love you,"
"I love you, too," He leaned down and kissed her. Their grips around each other were very strong. Because it was the last time they were kissing each other.
She pulled away but he won't let her go, their lips met once again. He was kissing her with passion, love, hunger.
By the time they pulled away their faces were soaked by each other's tears. She was hiccupping. He wrapped his arms around her and they stayed like this for a long time.
"Please, don't do this." She whispered.
"I'm sorry." He whispered back.
"I never wanted this."
He said nothing.
"I'll go now,"
"Let me drop you,"
"It's okay, I can go by myself,"
"I'm not hearing any of it, come on." He started walking towards the main door and she had no choice but to follow him.
They didn't talk during the whole journey, didn't even looked at each other. As they reached her house, She started to tremble.
"We're here." She nodded.
"I'll see you, I'll be here for the next week if you want anything you know you can always call me,"
"Okay,"
"Amanda, Always stay happy."
"Okay. You too." She nodded again, opened the car door, and got out.
She didn't turn to look at him for the last time. He waited for her to go inside and then left.
*
The next morning, She wouldn't wake up. At last, Carlos went up to her room to talk to her.
"We broke up, I'm mourning," She announced, just as he knocked on the door.
"Amanda, come on. Let's talk about it,"
"No, Please I'll come when I'm ready," Her voice trembled slightly. So of course, Carlos had to return from the door.
A few minutes later, Marie and Wren called her.
"We b-broke up," She told them.
"Oh my, Amy. To hell with Christmas and presents, we are coming over!"
Twenty minutes later three girls sat on Amy's bed. Two of them looked composed, with their hair in ponytails and faces glowing. But the third one looked a mess, Her eyes sore and red from all the crying and tangled hair.
"Now, tell us what happened."
Ansel.
He got up and took a shower. Today, he was in a good mood. Which was surprising because he was not a morning person.
He got dressed in jeans and a grey button-up.
Why am I so hot?
He asked the mirror. In his mind, Thank God.
"Merry Christmas, Family!"
"Oh, I was just going to wake you up. Let's open your presents then we'll have breakfast," Patricia kissed him on the cheek and led him to the living room.
"Amanda, I swear I didn't do it on purpose. This is all my fault! You hate me, right?" Marie placed her hands on Amy's knees and looked at her, scared.
"Of course, I don't hate you. It was my fault, Everything was kind of mutual,"
"We'll stay with you for the rest of the day," Wren announced.
"No, You don't have to. Go spend some time with your families, I'll try and do the same, okay?"
"But we'll come straight after dinner and crash here, Okay?"
"I love you both to death!" Amanda spread her arms and the three hugged.
"Don't cry now, think of something else," Marie advised.
"Okay,"
"Let's talk about college, that will distract us."
"Amanda?" There was a knock on her door, they looked towards the door to see who was there.
And there he was.
Looking handsome as always.
"Oh, Hi Ansel!" Wren smiled at him.
"Hello, girls. Merry Christmas," He bent his head in a true gentlemanly way.
"Merry Christmas."
Amy looked down and didn't look up again.
"We were just leaving, weren't we Wren?"
"Yes, we were." Marie and Wren climbed out of the bed. Said their byes and were off.
He was still standing in the doorway.
"May I come in?" He asked. She nodded, still not looking at him.
"How are you?" He asked as he sat down in front of her on the bed.
"Alive."
"I heard."
"What, that I'm alive?"
"No, About you and J-,"
"Yeah, we broke up."
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Don't be."
"Amy, I... He called me last night, His heart, it's so pure so full of love. I don't know what-,"
"Stop talking, Ansel."
"What?"
"Stop talking." She repeated. Her eyes filled with tears.
"Hey, hey. Don't cry." He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry for at least 5 minutes.
His shirt was soaked by her tears by the time she pulled away.
"I just want you to know, that I'm always here. If you need me, I'll be here for you."