The girl swallowed, âAre you upset?â
âYeah,â Rickey replied bluntly. âCan you do something to cheer me up?â
The girl clenched her hands together, her nails digging into her palms. âI can try.â
âYou can try, but this feels wrong to me.â Rickey got up smoothly and stepped off the bed. âStay here for an hour, then leave.â
She didnât respond, her gaze fixed on the floor, her shoulders hunched in resignation.
As Rickey passed by, the girl found a surge of courage. She reached out, tugging at his sleeve.
âCan you let me try? If I donât send money home regularly, they wonât let me keep studying. Iâve worked so hard to get here, aced everything to get this chance to study abroad. I really donât want to give it up.â
Rickey wasnât moved by her words. Who knew if any of it was true? Still, the mention of her academic achievements made him pause. She probably had good grades.
âIâm sorry,â he said, his voice colder now. âBut Iâm not interested in girls who excel at studying.â
The girl hadnât expected Rickeyâs response.
Rickey repeated that she should wait an hour before coming outâhe didnât want others thinking he was bad in bed.
An hour later, when she still hadnât emerged from the basement, Rickeyâs impatience got the better of him. He strode down, pushed open the door, and found her sitting on the bed, knees drawn up, quietly sobbing.
The moment her eyes met his, she hastily wiped away her tears, forcing herself to appear composed.
Find your favorite stories at g Ɐ ln Ï Î½ð ðs., conn It reminded him of Aurora again.
âIâm sorry, Iâll go right away!â
Her timid attitude made Rickeyâs heart skip a beat. His chest felt heavy, a dull and persistent ache that he couldnât shake. It wasnât sharp enough to break him, but it was constant, like a weight pressing against him, hollowing him out, bit by bit.
Was he really that unbearable?
He had spent more than a decade with Aurora. Even if Dunn had entered the picture, surely even the hardest of hearts would have softened towards him by now.
Only at this moment was he willing to admit that he was selfish. As much as he loved Aurora, he wanted her to love him in return.
Why should he back down?
Why should he make way for Dunn?
Why should he compromise?
Rickey clenched his teeth, his fists curling at his sides as the bitterness seeped deeper.
But no matter how much he bristled against it, he knew there was no turning back now.
.
.
.