CHAPTER 7: CAN WE TRY?
“Not everything is about you,” I snapped, rolling my eyes before turning my back on him.
But then his voice stopped me.
“Then why are you making me obsessed with you… like you’re doing it on purpose?”
His words sent a chill through my skin. I froze in my position.
Slowly, I turned back to face him, trying to keep my cool even though I'm really affected.
“Then I hope you also know what it feels like to be obsessed with you… without even knowing why.”
He didn’t reply. He just stood there while staring at me silently and not speaking.
I turned away again, but suddenly, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind. His head buried into my shoulder, his breath was lingeringin in my skin.
“Can we... try?” he whispered.
Did he just ask me to try?
Try what?
I didn’t answer right away. My mind was still trying to catch up, especially with the fact that he has a fiancée.
A reality I couldn’t just ignore.
“Just... let me try to be the right one for you,” he said softly.
“Jake…” I whispered, trying to find the right words.
“I know it’s too soon,” he murmured, “but I need to know if what I’m feeling is real. I want to find out... with you.”
“But Jake—”
“Are you willing to risk it for me too?” he asked, cutting me off.
“Jake, you have a fiancée," I answered. There's a disappointment in me. Disappointed because he already has a fiancee and I'm just a stranger he's attracted with. Disappointed............ because I know what I'm doing was wrong.
I felt him stiffen behind me. His arms slowly loosened before he pulled away completely and his gaze falling to the floor, avoiding my eyes.
“Was it that hard… that you even had to change the topic to avoid the real question?” His voice was quiet. “It’s okay, Reina. I get it. I’m not someone worth risking anything for.”
The hurt in his voice pierced deeper than I expected. I hate to see someone sad and disappointed with me. That's weaking a part of me....... disappointment.
Did I just ruin it? This moment we were supposed to have? All I had to do was say yes or no but ruined it instead. This is the moment. It's just the two of us but I still act like there's someone else in here.
“I-I’m sorry if I made you feel that way,” I said shakily. “I didn’t mean to hurt you… I just…”
I couldn't finish my sentence.
“Just yes or no, Reina,” he said gently. “It’s not that hard… right?”
He looked at me again. But this time not as the confident professor, but as someone fragile. Vulnerable. Waiting for an answer......... from me.
“What now, Reina?” he asked again but in softer tone.
I swallowed hard before answering.
“Y-Yes,” I said before I could stop myself. “We can try.”
What the hell am I doing?
Why did I say that?
I shouldn’t have said thay but the sadness in his eyes… the disappointment… I couldn’t take it anymore. I hate to realize that I'm the reason behind it.
Maybe… maybe nothing will go wrong if we try…
Right?
He smiled the moment he heard my answer and rushed toward me, pulling me into a tight hug.
“Ugh. Too tight,” I let out a small laugh as I felt the air squeeze out of my lungs.
He's acting like a kid again.
“Sorry, sorry,” he said quickly, pulling away with a grin.
We stood there, facing each other, smiling like two fools. His hands found mine and held them gently like he didn’t want to let go.
“I’ll do my best to make this work,” he said, his voice was low and filled with sincerity.
I nodded, brushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen over his face.
“There. Now I can see your face clearly,” I murmured, then lightly caressed his cheek.
His warmth... it felt so comforting, like something I had been quietly craving for a long time. I didn’t want to admit it, but deep down, I wanted this to work. And maybe… just maybe… this was the right thing. Maybe I was finally doing something right.
After a few more moments together, we stepped outside to the garden. We just… rested. Together.
“How was it?” he asked, looking at me with curiosity.
“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now. It all feels… so fast.”
“Reina...” he said softly. He reached out and held my hands again, his thumbs gently rubbing it. “Something already happened between us… and I want to take responsibility for whatever consequences might come. For you.”
His words made my heart pound. He was being genuine and maybe more genuine than I had ever seen him before.
“Jake?” I looked at him, wanting so badly to ask about his fiancée. The thought was like a weight sitting in the back of my mind, growing heavier with every second. But I was scared. Scared he’d snap again. And that’s not what I wanted........ not now. So I'd rather carry the weight of it for now than let him snapped.
“What is it?” he asked, noticing the hesitation in my eyes.
I forced a smile ao he wouldn't suspect anything. “Nothing,” I said, shaking my head.
He smiled and tilted his head.
“Can I show you something?”
I nodded again, keeping the same forced smile on my lips.
After spending some time in the garden, he led me back inside, to his room.
“I want to give you something,” he said as he opened the door and let me sit on his bed.
“Sit here,” he added kindly, and I did as told.
“I’ll just get something,” he said before stepping out of the room.
While he was gone, I looked around the room and that’s when I saw it. His phone was on the table, and a notification lit up the screen. I didn’t mean to look, but the message was hard to ignore.
> Sir, the proposal for your fiancée is ready.
The words hit me. I froze. My mind went blank. The weight I had been ignoring suddenly crushed me.
I quickly returned to my position before he came back. I didn’t want him to know I saw it.
“Here.” He handed me a small box as he returned, his eyes watching mine carefully.
“Jake?” I called out, hesitating before opening it.
He sat beside me, waiting.
“Are you… serious about this?” I asked, holding the box but not opening it yet. My voice shook because of what I just saw.
His smile faltered for just a second.
“Open it,” he said quietly.
I slowly lifted the lid.
But my thoughts weren't on the box anymore.
They were on the message.
The proposal for his fiancée.
And yet… here he was, giving me something.
So what am I in all this?