Chapter 2

[Seriously? Jesse, be a man and tell her how you feel.] The scrolling comments sounded utterly exasperated.

"What's so good about me?" I pushed him for an answer.

Jesse swallowed, his eyes wandered for a second before landing back on my face. This time, he didn't dodge.

He said, "You always remember that the third window seat in the library has the best sunlight, and you leave it for whoever gets there early. You give the stray cats names when you feed them, and you build shelters for them in winter.

"You're the one who takes group assignments the most seriously, always helping the ones who can't keep up. And you—"

His voice softened. "Last time you told me, 'Hey, I think there's a bug in the code here.' And after I fixed it, it really worked. You're pretty awesome."

He blurted it all out in one go, then froze, turning his head aside awkwardly, blushing.

My nose stung as I listened. I never thought that someone had been quietly keeping track of all those little things I'd almost forgotten.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was Ethan.

Ethan: [Agnes, was it you? Why didn't you come in? I'm starving.]

He even threw in a pouty emoji.

Back then, stuff like this would have made me feel bad. I'd reply right away and apologize. Now, it felt ridiculous.

I didn't reply. I locked the screen. "It's Jesse."

"Oh," he replied.

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon? There's a new café on campus, and I heard their matcha cake is pretty good." I looked up at him, trying to keep my voice casual.

His glasses slid down a bit; he stared for a couple of seconds, then hurriedly pushed them back up, his voice bubbling with excitement and nerves. "Yeah, I am."

[She asked him out. It worked.] The comments started celebrating.

"So, tomorrow at 2 p.m., by the library entrance?" I asked.

"Sure," Jesse answered a bit too loudly, then instantly looked embarrassed, pressing his lips. "I-I'll be there on time."

When we got to the dorm building, he handed the lunchbox back to me. "You should probably keep this."

"It's yours," I said, waving him off. "Make sure you eat it."

He hesitated for a second, then hugged the lunchbox to his chest, looking genuinely grateful. "Thanks. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," I replied.

I turned and headed upstairs, but when I got to the second-floor window, I couldn't help but peek down.

Jesse was still there, looking at the lunchbox. He carefully opened it, smelled the salad, and ate some.

The sunlight wrapped him in a soft halo.

The comments popped up. [He ate it, and he's smiling.]

I found myself smiling, too.

Ethan, it turned out losing me really wouldn't hurt you at all. And yet, someone else got some food from me, and he was grinning as if he'd won the world.

Why was I so hung up on him for three years?

*****

The next day, I skipped makeup, wore a white dress, and showed up at the library entrance right on time.

Jesse was already there. He'd changed into a light blue shirt, his hair seemingly styled with care. He was holding a cup of iced latte.

When he saw me, his eyes lit up. He hurried over and handed me the drink. "Iced latte, less sugar."

He paused, sounding a little unsure. "You mentioned on your post half a month ago that you wanted to try it."

I really had posted that. And he actually remembered.

I took the drink, and when our fingers brushed, he pulled his hand back as if he'd been burnt.

"Thanks," I said, taking a sip. The taste was perfect. "It's really good."

Jesse smiled faintly.

The café was tucked away on a quiet street near the school's back gate, and it wasn't crowded at all.

We sat down by the window. Jesse handed me the menu, sitting up straight and gazing out at the trees, the faint tremble of his eyelashes betraying his nerves.

After we finished ordering, things got quiet for a moment. I was about to start a conversation when a familiar, annoying voice jumped in. "Wow, what a coincidence."

It was Ethan.

He wore brand-name clothes, hair perfectly styled, and an eye-catching red-haired girl in a sexy outfit wrapped around his arm. Her name was Nicole.

His gaze flicked between Jesse and me before locking onto my face, his smile dripping with mockery and faint annoyance.

"Agnes, why didn't you come in yesterday? Looks like you had a date, huh?" he drawled. "With Jesse? Not bad."

Nicole giggled, sizing me up with a look of pure disdain.

The comments flooded in all at once.

[This jerk is showing off his new girl and trying to provoke.]

[Who's this red-haired girl? Didn't he have a different girl last week?]

[Jesse, hang in there. You have to defend Agnes.]

Jesse's face darkened. "Ethan, watch your mouth."

His voice wasn't loud, but it felt cold and intimidating.

Ethan paused, then snorted. "It's a joke. Jesse, didn't you say you weren't interested in Agnes? What now? Are you taking advantage while she's vulnerable?"

"Ethan." I shot up from my seat, my voice trembling. "We're done. Who I'm with is none of your business."

"Done?" Ethan scoffed, like he'd heard the funniest joke. He let go of Nicole and stepped closer. "Agnes, you chased after me for three years. Everyone on campus knows it. That's not how I define 'Done'."

He spoke so loudly that people at nearby tables started looking over.

Nicole folded her arms, watching like she was enjoying the drama.

Embarrassment and anger washed over me.

Jesse stood up, stepping right in front of me like a shield, blocking Ethan from looking at me.

He was a bit taller than Ethan, and as he looked down at him. His usual gentle vibe was gone, replaced by something cold and distant.

"Ethan," Jesse said calmly, every word clear. "You were the one who took advantage of her kindness and crushed it without a second thought. Do you want me to repeat what you said in the dorm yesterday so everyone here can hear it?"

Ethan's expression darkened. "Jesse, stay out of this. This is none of your business."

"Now it is." Jesse stood his ground, refusing to budge. "Please leave. Don't interrupt us."

Ethan's face turned livid with rage as he jabbed a finger at Jesse. "Don't forget who brought you into everything. Without me, you'd be some nerd nobody likes. Who the hell do you think you are?"

The comments went wild.

[Whoa, things blew up. Ethan's talking trash and going straight for the low blows.]

[Jesse, hit back. Throw your money in his face. Show him who's the boss here.]

Jesse let out a cold laugh. "Brought me into everything? You mean dragging me into skipping class and failing, or making me cover every bill while you 'forgot' to pay me back?"

Ethan was left speechless.

Jesse continued, "Whatever happens in my life is none of your business. And Agnes? You have absolutely no say in it."

Jesse shifted, gently draping his arm over my shoulders in a protective way. "Let's find somewhere else."

He pulled me with him as we started walking away.

"Agnes!" Ethan yelled after us, his voice tight with frustration. "If you walk out with him today, I'll never speak to you again."

Same old line. Every time he didn't like something I did, he'd threaten to ignore me. And I'd freak out, say sorry, and try even harder to make him happy.

Now, it seemed childish and ridiculous.

I stopped and turned around, staring at the guy I'd chased for three years, the one who now looked disgusting to me, and said calmly, "Ethan, do you really think your attention still matters to me?

"I don't want it anymore. I don't want you. I'm done."

After that, I didn't bother looking at his pale, furious face or the stunned people around us. I grabbed Jesse's wrist. "Let's go."

Jesse froze for a split second. Then he flipped his hand and gently held mine. His palm felt warm and dry, strong in a comforting way.

We left hand in hand, while Ethan glared like he was about to explode, and Nicole stared in shock.