Chapter 163

Chapter 163

"Maybe someday, but not now."

Abigail was still figuring out her feelings for Trent. She hadn't made up her mind about him yet.

After all, Trent had hurt her before.

"If there's a chance that day might come, then why..."

Kevin stopped himself mid-sentence, and Abigail cut in.

"Do you really need me to turn you down flat?"

Rejecting Kevin was something Abigail had thought through carefully.

If she left things unclear, maybe they could still stay friends.

But then again, wasn't that exactly what Trent used to do?

"Kevin, I know how you feel, and I appreciate that you like me. But I don't have those kinds of feelings for you."

She took a small sip of her coffee, her expression completely serious.

"When I decided to go back to my family, I was already ready to spend the rest of my life with Trent. We're family. Whatever happens, we face it together."

"So you're just going to let it go? Everything he did to hurt you?"

Kevin couldn't wrap his head around it.

If he were Abigail, he would never forgive Trent so easily. He wouldn't even give Trent a second chance.

Why did someone who hurt her deserve her forgiveness?

"You don't understand what's between us."

Abigail had no intention of sharing everything about her and Trent with someone else.

She looked at Kevin apologetically. "I'm sorry. I wasn't clear enough before, and I let you get the wrong idea."

She paused for a moment.

"But I think I'm being pretty clear right now. I don't have romantic feelings for you. If possible, I'd like us to keep things at a friendship level."

That was a clear rejection, and she'd said it more than once. There was no way Kevin could miss how serious she was.

He sat there looking lost, his lips trembling slightly.

"I have nothing to offer you, and I don't want you thinking there's any chance for us."

A clean, direct rejection was better than dragging things out and leaving everyone miserable in the end.

Abigail didn't want Kevin to get stuck in his feelings and end up getting badly hurt.

She couldn't make him any promises, and she didn't want to give him any hope.

They were just two different kinds of people.

The time they'd spent together might have been fate, but not the romantic kind.

She'd had a husband and kids back then.

So from the very beginning, Abigail had never once thought about anything happening between her and Kevin.

"Are you serious?"

After a long silence, Kevin finally spoke, his voice rough.

"Yes. I've thought it through carefully."

Abigail gave a small nod. "Choosing to give him another chance is something I decided after a lot of thought. It's what I want for us."

But what about him?

Kevin wanted so badly to ask Abigail what he even meant to her.

Did his feelings really count for nothing?

Was his love just something to be thrown away, like trash nobody cared about?

The sadness kept rising inside him, and he almost said something he'd regret. But in the end, he held it back.

Abigail had made her choice. The only thing he could do was respect it, not push her.

Loving someone was never about possession.

It wasn't real only if you got what you wanted.

Kevin went quiet again for a long time, long enough for his coffee to go cold.

Abigail glanced at her watch.

She was just about to say something when Kevin spoke first.

"You've made your choice, and I'm not going to stand in your way. I just hope you'll be happy."

If you pick something up, you have to be able to let it go too.

He was the one who had fallen for her. Those feelings were his own.

So if Abigail didn't feel the same way, that was her choice too.

Maybe they were just never meant to be.

It still hurt, but Kevin managed to say it graciously.

"Thank you."

Seeing that he seemed to have come to terms with it, Abigail couldn't help but smile.

"I hope you find your own happiness too."

Someone as good as Kevin deserved to find love someday.

"Happiness? Maybe."

Kevin let out a quiet sigh, shrugged, and forced a casual tone.

"If you need to get going, go ahead. I'll sit here a little longer."

"Okay."

Someone was waiting for her at home, and Abigail didn't want to stay out too long.

She finished her coffee, picked up her handbag, and was about to leave when Kevin called out to her.

"Abigail, if..."

"I mean, if."

Kevin grabbed her wrist, looking at her with complete seriousness.

"If Trent ever does something to hurt you, or you decide you're done with him, tell me."

His eyes grew more intense as he finished.

"No matter when, I'll always be here for you."

Meeting Kevin's steady gaze, Abigail didn't know what to say.

She didn't know if that day would ever come, but she wasn't going to give him hope right now.

"Kevin, thank you."

At her words, Kevin let go of her wrist.

"Be happy!"

"Thank you."

Same answer as always. Abigail turned and walked away.

Kevin watched her go, then covered his eyes with his hand.

Why did he finally meet someone who made his heart race, only to show up one step too late?

It wasn't like Abigail and Trent had been that close before. Kevin could even sense that she still had some issues with Trent.

And yet, just because he came along a little too late, they'd somehow worked things out.

A bitter feeling slowly crept up inside him, and Kevin's eyes grew a little wet at the corners.

He quickly pulled himself together and forced himself to stay calm.

When no one was looking, he quietly made the sign of the cross and said a silent prayer.

"God, if you can really hear me, let Trent slip up a little. Just don't hurt her too much."

He genuinely liked Abigail. He wasn't ready to give up on her.

Meanwhile, Abigail had just gotten home. As she was taking off her shoes, she noticed Trent's slippers sitting neatly in their spot.

She changed into her house shoes and called him.

"How come you're not home yet?"

Trent had been coming home early the past couple of days. Sometimes Abigail would walk in and he'd already be there working.

He'd even started bringing work home just so he'd be there when she got back.

But today, he still wasn't home.

His phone rang. He glanced at the name on the screen, then stepped away from what he was doing to answer.

"Abigail? What's up?"