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She playfully pushed him away.
Mr. Lynch sighed.
“My girl's all grown up…”
Evelyn followed Mr. Lynch inside, glancing back with confusion and irritation.
Chloe rolled her eyes and openly held my arm, guiding me through the exhibition.
I calmly admired each piece, ignoring the curious stares around us. Peace settled in my heart.
After the exhibition, Chloe got busy. Beyond brief texts, she stopped dropping by for meals.
One rainy day, the doorbell rang. I opened it.
There she stood, drenched like a stray kitten, water dripping from her hair—looking utterly pitiful.
I quickly led her to shower.
When she came out wearing my white shirt, my breath hitched.
I knew Chloe had feelings for me.
But she deserved better than Liam—the city's most famous simp.
As I hesitated, she sat close, her bare legs brushing me.
“Liam, do you think I'm pretty?”
I shifted away nervously.
“Yeah.”
“Do you like me?”
No one had ever asked me that. Panicked, I said:
“I—I think I left a file at the office. Gotta grab it.”
I fled, seeing the hurt in her eyes. My heart ached with regret.
