Chapter 2
It drizzled yesterday, and the roads were slippery.
I slipped while crossing the street and crashed hard onto the pavement.
Sharp pain shot through my calf, cold sweat dripping down my forehead from the ache.
A kind passerby helped me to my feet and called 911 for me.
The hospital scan showed I'd fractured my calf. I had to get a cast and stay off my feet to recover.
When I got home, the first person I thought of was Claire.
I called her.
Her voice was soft, thick with worry. "Ethan, how could you be so careless?
"Wait for me. I'm on my way to take care of you. You don't have to worry about a thing."
I believed her.
I waited the whole damn day, from morning till noon, then from noon till nightfall.
She never showed up.
Her phone was dead, and my messages might as well have been sent into a black hole.
It wasn't until I saw Ryan's post that I snapped out of it.
Turned out, when I needed Claire the most, she dropped everything for Ryan.
All her soft sympathy and promises only meant something when Ryan didn't need her.
So, I decided to let her go.
Breaking up with her didn't require a talk, and I didn't need her approval either.
I contacted a moving company online right away and shipped all my belongings back to my hometown.
Then I grabbed the earliest train ticket I could find.
This city was packed with memories of Claire. I couldn't take it anymore, not even for another second.
Just then, the doorbell rang, urgent and insistent.
I hobbled over with my crutches and opened the door.
Standing outside was Sophia, Claire's best friend.
She was the only one who knew about our secret relationship.
She was holding a thermos, and when she saw my leg in a cast, her eyes flashed with sympathy.
She hurried over, took my arm, and helped me sit down carefully.
"How did you end up like this?" she asked.
I didn't explain. Instead, I looked at her and asked, "What brings you here?
"With my leg busted, I can't whip up anything for you."
Sophia loved my cooking and used to mooch off my meals whenever she got the chance.
She explained, "Claire asked me to come over and look after you."
I looked at her and couldn't help but laugh.
What was this, really? Claire was off with her first love, and yet now she sent her best friend to keep an eye on me, scared me, her backup, might leave?
I told Sophia straight up. "I broke up with Claire."
Sophia froze for a second, her hand pausing on my arm.
She frowned, baffled. "Why? Weren't you guys doing okay? She told me to look after you."
"She's overseas keeping Ryan company," I said flatly. There was no rage in my tone, only numbness.
Sophia's eyes widened in surprise, then she let out a sigh.
She fell silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you ready to let her go, after all these years of loving her?"
I'd asked myself that too.
And my answer was yes.
Claire and I met back in college.
It was at the freshman welcome party.
She stood center stage singing in a white dress.
The spotlight fell on her, wrapping her in radiant light, gentle yet dazzling.
One glance, and I fell for her.
From then on, my heart never stopped beating for her.
I chased after her for years.
Every day, I'd bring her breakfast, stick with her through late-night study sessions, and whenever she had her monthly troubles, I'd show up with hot water and a warm pack.
It got to the point where running after her became a habit.
Then, in our senior year, I happened to run into Ryan when he came to our campus to see Claire.
That was when I realized Claire had someone hidden deep in her heart for years.
It was her childhood sweetheart, Ryan Cooper.
I saw the way her eyes sparkled when she looked at him.
That was the moment I realized I had to let her go.
But deep down, I couldn't shake off a sense of resentment.
Why didn't Claire tell me she was into someone else? I might've given up on her long ago.
After that, I was crushed and went back to my hometown.
I took over the family restaurant and threw myself into work, hoping to forget about her.
I thought our lives would never cross again.
But a year later, Claire called me out of the blue and asked to meet up.
She was dressed in a sharp business suit, looking more grown-up and dazzling than she did in college.
She looked me straight in the eye, speaking each word slowly and seriously. "Ethan, will you marry me?"
My heart nearly stopped. I thought I must've misheard. "Claire, what did you just say?"
I have to admit, when Claire asked me that question, my heart was shaken to its core.
But her next words snuffed out every bit of hope I had. "Let's get married in secret.
"I just started working as a radio host, and staying single helps my career.
"Once my job is stable, we can let everyone know, okay?"