A lump formed in my throat as fresh tears brimmed in my eyes. "I was scared, Argos! My heart was breaking just as much as yours. I didn't know how to cope with the reality of it all. All I could think about was your family's disapproval and how I could never match up with you!"
"Those are just excuses," he snapped, leaning forward, anger flashing in his eyes. "You could have fought for us! You could've at least told me how you truly felt instead of walking away!"
"I—" I stammered, feeling trapped in the cage of my own emotions. "I thought it would be easier this way! I didn't think you'd want someone like me to ruin your future!"
"Easier? You think it's easier to live with regret for three years?" His voice softened slightly, but the hurt was still palpable. "You think it would have been easier for me to forget you? To see you reach your dreams and don't give a damn about me? You should've trusted me more."
My heart ached at the pain etched across his face—deep lines of heartbreak that mirrored my own. Suddenly, the years of silence, the unspoken words coiled like a serpent within me, finally breaking free. "N-no, Argos... For those three years, I silently supported you. Did you know that I couldn't sleep, not knowing what you've been doing? Every night, I would read articles related to you. Whenever you accomplished something, I would let someone deliver you your favorite flowers anonymously."
He looked at me, his gaze hardening like steel. "Liar. The one who's been giving me my favorite flowers was Alice, not you!"
A wave of desperation surged through me, and I shook my head repeatedly. "N-no, Argos, listen to me. I was the one who's been delivering those! I even have the receipts!" Without thinking, I reached for my phone, hastily unlocking it. The wallpaper was a picture of us, an image that symbolized everything I had held onto over the years. I had never once deleted it; it was my resolve to chase my dreams, a reminder to believe that, one day, I might be worthy of standing beside him again.
Just as I was about to click on the receipts, Argos snatched my phone away from me.