The truth was, it wasn't actually Nathan who andrain had said was bothering me—it was Ryan. I hadn't done anything to complicate his relationship with his girlfriend, so why was he trying to mess with mine now?
As I walked into the classroom, I was surprised to feel every pair of eyes on me. The whispers started almost immediately, but I ignored them and headed to my seat. Just as I began organizing my books for the next class, Kathy leaned over with a suspicious smile.
"Are you dating Adrian?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.
I paused for a moment, letting the question linger, then scoffed. "No way. He's just my childhood—"
"Oh, sweetheart, I guess!" Kelly interrupted as she strutted into the room with her two loyal sidekicks in tow.
I whispered under my breath, though loud enough for those nearby to hear, "Why can't anyone tell me this bitch isn't here right now?"
"And what does that have to do with you?" Christoph chimed in, smirking from his desk.
Karen, never missing an opportunity to add fuel to the fire, grinned. "Oooh, she's jealous she didn't get to have a childhood friend like Adrian."
The comment hit its mark, and Kelly slammed her desk in frustration before storming out of the room.
I knew she wasn't going to let this go and would find a way to get back at me later, but I wasn't in the mood to worry about it right now. My phone buzzed, and I glanced down to see a text from Ryan.
> "Would you like to go to the park with me later? I'm sorry if I've been a burden, but I can't resist wanting to spend time with you."
My lips curled into a small smile as I replied, "Yes." I needed to explain everything to him anyway.
A few moments later, I decided to step out and use the washroom. As I stood up, I accidentally bumped into something solid—or someone solid.
"Oops!" I muttered, realizing I had walked straight into Adrian's chest.
His familiar grin spread across his face as he looked down at me. "Would you like to go to the park with me after school?"
My stomach churned. "No, of course not. I'm so sorry, but I'm already preoccupied," I replied quickly, sidestepping him and heading toward the door.
As I turned to leave the class after school, Adrian grabbed my wrist gently but firmly and pulled me to the library.His voice softened.
"Hey! I'm so sorry, Nelissa."
I sighed, turning to face him with a tired expression.
"Adrian, please stop. Can't you see reason with me? It won't work. You said so yourself. Remember years ago? When I asked you those questions, you said no. And after, you threw the flower I gave you. You said you were in love with someone, didn't you?"
My voice cracked as I tried to keep my emotions in check, but the weight of that memory stirred the anger I had buried for so long.
"Shit, like you're supposed to understand," Adrian muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Understand what?" I shot back, almost screaming. "What was there to understand? You made it clear back then!"
"I didn't mean it at the time," he said, his voice lowering. "I'm so sorry, Nelissa. I was immature, okay? I didn't know how to handle those feelings. But with time, I've realized… I've realized how important you are in my life."
His words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. I blinked, trying to process everything, but my mind felt scrambled.
Adrian stepped closer, his tone earnest. "Please, Nelissa. Just give me a chance. I don't care about the past—I care about what we can have now."
I stood silent, avoiding his gaze. The truth was, it wasn't Nathan I still had feelings for—it was Ryan. But how could I admit that to Adrian? How could I explain that my heart had moved on while his seemed stuck in a past I had long tried to forget?
He tilted his head slightly, searching my face for an answer. "Is it Nathan?" he asked cautiously, his voice barely above a whisper.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "No… It's not Nathan," I replied flatly, still refusing to meet his eyes.
"Then… why?" Adrian pressed. "Why can't we try?"
I bit my lip, searching for an excuse. "I just—I can't, Adrian. I'm sorry. I've got a lot on my plate right now. I need time to figure things out," I mumbled, taking a step back.
"Time?" he echoed, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I'll give you all the time you need. But I'm not giving up, Nelissa."
I forced a tight smile. "We'll see," I said, knowing deep down that my answer was already clear.
With that, I turned and walked away, leaving Adrian standing there with his hopes still hanging in the air. My heart was heavy, but I knew I couldn't let myself get entangled in emotions I wasn't ready to face—not with everything else happening in my life.
As I waited at our usual spot, my heart skipped a beat when I saw Adrian approaching, waving enthusiastically. Caught off guard, I couldn't hide or come up with an excuse before he reached me. Just as I was about to say something, Ryan appeared beside us, and to my surprise, he and Adrian greeted each other like old friends.
"Hey, man! Long time no see," Adrian said, giving Ryan a friendly pat on the back.
"Yeah, it's been a while," Ryan replied, glancing briefly at me before focusing back on Adrian.
Their conversation quickly became animated, diving into shared memories and mutual acquaintances. I stood there, feeling increasingly invisible as they laughed and reminisced, barely acknowledging my presence. Frustration bubbled up inside me, and I was on the verge of interrupting when Adrian suddenly asked, "So, how is she?"
I snapped back to attention, curious about who they were discussing.
"Who?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Alisa, who else?" Adrian replied, rolling his eyes playfully.
Ryan shrugged, "Oh, she's fine, I guess."
Hearing another girl's name mentioned so casually in front of me stung more than I expected. I felt a lump form in my throat and blinked rapidly to hold back the tears threatening to spill. All I wanted was to go home.
Later, as we entered the living room, we found Dad seated on the sofa, a magazine in hand and a glass of wine on the table beside him. He looked up as we approached, setting the magazine aside.
"Where have you been?" he asked, his tone neutral but his gaze sharp.
"Evening, Dad," we both greeted in unison.
I opened my mouth to explain, but Adrian beat me to it. "We joined a study group after school. Eliana was there too, weren't you?"
I turned to see Eliana ascending the stairs, silently pleading with her to corroborate the story.
She paused, glancing back at us. "Oh, sure. I left earlier to help Mom at home."
The room fell silent, tension hanging in the air as Dad considered her words. My heartbeat quickened, anxiety gnawing at me.
Finally, Dad nodded. "Alright, keep it up, all of you."
As he returned to his magazine, Eliana shot me a smug look. Once Dad was out of earshot, she smirked, "Oh, I guess you want to say thank you, Nelissa."
Her condescending tone made my blood boil, but I refused to let her see me falter. "You'll be waiting a long time for that," I retorted, lifting my chin defiantly.
"Will I? Okay," she replied, her smirk widening.
Ignoring her, I walked past, Adrian following closely behind, both of us eager to escape the suffocating tension.