Chapter 5

Ethan fell silent. Sunlight slanted in through the window, scattering flecks of light across his face. I used to adore that face, but now, all I felt was weary.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving," I said, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. "Julian's waiting for me."

Ethan suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Is there really something going on between you and Julian?"

I yanked my hand away. "What's it to you?"

"I just..." he stammered.

"Just what?" I met his gaze. "Ethan, you said you hate me, but you keep meddling in my personal life. Don't you think that's contradictory?"

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just stepped aside to let me pass.

As I walked out of the building, Julian was waiting for me by the fountain. When he saw me, he waved me over.

"Did Ethan bother you?" he asked, grabbing my backpack.

"No. He apologized," I replied, sounding a bit down.

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Really? That simple?"

"It was barely an apology," I sighed. "He was still acting superior."

"You'll get used to it," Julian said, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Some people will never admit that they're wrong."

I nodded, and then it hit me. "By the way, thanks for backing me up today, but don't go around saying I'm your girlfriend anymore."

"Why?" Julian stopped walking. "Do you not like me or something?"

"No," I blurted out. "I just don't want to use you."

Julian gazed at me, sunlight swirling in his eyes. "Charlotte, what if I told you I wasn't just acting?"

My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I like you," he said softly. "And not just in the childhood friend way."

I was stunned. Julian liked me? We'd grown up together, and he'd seen me at my messiest, knew every embarrassing thing I'd ever done.

"You don't have to answer now," Julian smiled and messed up my hair. "I know Ethan's still on your mind."

"No, he's not," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"Yeah, right," Julian teased, poking my forehead. "It's written all over your face."

I batted his hand away but couldn't argue. How could I let go of two years of feelings so fast? Even after everything Ethan had done, my heart still beat for him.

"Come on. I'll walk you home," Julian said, reaching for my hand. "Didn't Mr. Williamson say he wanted to talk to you about the company this evening?"

I nodded and let him guide me. Julian's grip was warm. It was so different from Ethan's cold touch.

When we got home, Dad was in his study, waiting for me. He had a pile of documents spread out in front of him, his brow furrowed.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked cautiously.

"The Lancaster Group is up to their old tricks again," Dad said, rubbing his temples. "They're trying to snatch our land on the east side of the city."

The Lancaster Group was the Williamson Group's biggest rival in the business world, and the two companies had been at each other's throats for years. Lately, Ryan Lancaster, the heir, had just come back from studying abroad, and he'd been even more ruthless than ever.

"What can I do?" I asked, sitting down across from Dad.

Dad handed me a folder. "This is the project file. Take a look and get familiar with it. Next week, you're coming with me to the negotiation."

I flipped it open, and all those numbers and business terms made my head spin. But seeing how tired Dad looked, I gritted my teeth and nodded. "I'll be ready."

That night, I stayed up late studying the project files, only crashing into bed around three in the morning. My dreams wouldn't let me rest. Ethan's cold gaze, Sarah's insincere grin, and Julian's unexpected confession all haunted me.

The next day, I showed up with dark circles under my eyes. The moment I stepped into the classroom, laughter exploded around me. Sarah was in the middle of a gaggle of girls, waving something around.

"Charlotte," Sarah called out, plastering on her sweetest smile. "We're checking out some Astronomy Club photos. Wanna take a look?"

I was about to turn her down, but then I caught sight of the photo: me and Ethan. It was from my very first day at the Astronomy Club. Someone had snapped it without us noticing. He'd only let it happen because I begged, and he looked totally uninterested. I'd kept that photo close. How did it end up here?

"Give it back," I snapped, reaching for it.

Sarah dodged me, smirking. "Relax, Charlotte. We're all dying to know what you did to get Ethan to take a picture with you."

"That's mine. It's private," I said, barely keeping my anger in check. "Hand it over."

"Geez, why so worked up?" Sarah pouted. "I'm just curious why you still hang onto a photo like that. Don't you already have Julian now?"

The girls around her started giggling. My cheeks were red both from rage and humiliation. That photo was proof I still couldn't let go of Ethan, and now Sarah was using it to make a fool out of me.

"What's going on here?" Ethan's voice came from the doorway.

"Ethan," Sarah immediately rushed over, plastering on her sweetest smile. "We were just looking at a photo of you and Charlotte."

Ethan's expression turned stormy as soon as he saw the photo. "Where did this come from?"

"It fell out of Charlotte's book," Sarah said, acting all innocent. "We were just curious."

Ethan strode over and snatched the photo from her hands. I thought he was going to give it back to me, but instead, he just tore it in half without a second thought.

"Don't touch other people's things without asking," he said coldly to Sarah, then turned to me. "Charlotte, let the past stay in the past."

With that, he tossed the shredded photo into the trash and walked away. I just stood there, staring at the broken pieces in the bin, and suddenly, all those memories just seemed like a cruel joke.

I crouched down, picking up the shredded pieces of the photo one by one. Sarah hovered nearby, putting on her fake apology, but I couldn't even be bothered to spare her a glance.

The bell rang, and the crowd scattered. I slowly walked back to my seat, holding onto the scraps of the photo. Julian was suddenly at the back door, mouthing, "You okay?"

I shook my head, then nodded. Not really, but I'd get there.

Someday, I'd move on from Ethan for good. Someday, my heart would stop hurting because of him.

Someday.