Joseph lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Lisa's words kept repeating in his mind.
"Don't blame me when someone else takes her first."
He hated that thought.
Pharita deserved someone good—someone confident, someone who knew what they wanted.
Not him.
But then why did it hurt so much to imagine her with someone else?
Pharita sat on her bed, hugging a pillow.
Something was wrong, and she knew it.
Joseph was avoiding her.
At first, she thought she was imagining things.
But the more she paid attention, the more obvious it became.
He barely spoke to her.
If their eyes met, he looked away instantly.
And today, when she had tried to say goodbye, he had just nodded and walked off.
Had she done something wrong?
Or…
Was it something else?
Felix watched everything unfold with quiet amusement.
Joseph was struggling.
Pharita was confused.
Lisa was getting impatient.
And Felix?
Felix was just waiting for the perfect moment to push things forward.
Because if Joseph didn't confess soon…
Felix would do something about it.
And Joseph wouldn't like it.
Later that night, Pharita went out to the balcony for some fresh air.
She was lost in thought when she heard a sound behind her.
She turned around—
And there was Joseph, standing in the doorway.
For a long moment, they just looked at each other.
Then, before she could stop herself, Pharita spoke.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
Joseph tensed. "I'm not."
Pharita narrowed her eyes. "Liar."
Joseph let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
He looked… frustrated.
Pharita took a step closer. "Did I do something wrong?"
Joseph's eyes widened. "No! Of course not."
"Then why won't you look at me?"
Joseph swallowed hard.
Pharita was standing too close.
He could smell her perfume, see the concern in her eyes.
And suddenly, he couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Because I like you."
Silence.
Pharita's breath hitched. "What?"
Joseph clenched his fists. "You heard me."
Pharita felt her heart pound.
She had suspected it, but hearing him say it out loud was different.
"Then why are you avoiding me?" she whispered.
Joseph looked away. "Because it's complicated."
Pharita frowned. "What's so complicated about it?"
Joseph didn't answer.
He just shook his head and turned away.
"Forget I said anything."
And before Pharita could stop him, he walked back inside—
Leaving her standing alone in the cold night air.