Chapter 118 Devotion
Daniel was rarely stern, but when he was, he meant business.
I knew he had good intentions, but I just couldn't accept it.
Lately, I'd been around him a lot, and people were starting to notice. Two folks in the apartment even asked if he was my boyfriend.
Plus, I had just seen Zoe during the day, and now I was with Daniel at night. It felt wrong, and I couldn't justify it to myself or anyone else.
I glanced at Daniel. He looked cold and irritated.
"Thanks, but I can handle it," I said firmly.
"Jane," he said, his tone sharp and angry.
Before he could continue, Zoe came running over, her skirt fluttering. "Daniel, why didn't you answer my call? I had a hard time finding you."
I felt a chill. This was exactly what I feared.
But maybe it was better this way. Zoe seeing it firsthand was better than hearing rumors. We could clear things up face-to-face.
Daniel looked stunned, then panicked. "Why are you here?"
"I missed you. I booked a room at our usual hotel. Is this Jane? Why are you two together so late?" Zoe asked, her tone suspicious but quickly turning playful when she looked at Daniel.
Daniel glared at her, then looked at me, confused and probing.
'What's he trying to figure out?' I wondered.
"There's a performance tomorrow night, and tonight was the last rehearsal. I won't keep you. Goodbye," I said, needing to clear things up.
As I turned to leave, Daniel looked like he wanted to say something, but Zoe grabbed his arm and dragged him away.
The campus was quiet, and the streetlights guided me back to the apartment.
Inside, it was silent. Mindy hadn't been back for three nights. Judging by her recent Facebook posts, she was always with Louis, apparently because of some important event at his house. As Megan's chosen fiancée for Louis, Mindy was with him whenever she wasn't in class.
Some photos looked like they were taken secretly and in bad conditions, but Mindy still looked elegant and beautiful, and Louis seemed gentle and courteous. They had a subtle understanding, and their smiles matched perfectly.
Mindy's latest post from half an hour ago showed Louis in a suit, his left arm around her shoulder, holding a glass of red wine in his right hand, looking at her with a soft gaze. I felt happy for them.
That tender look made me believe they had a beautiful future ahead.
The caption was touching: "Time with you is eternally sweet."
Louis and Mindy had gone from strangers to companions over time.
Louis must have been moved by Mindy's deep affection.
This made me think of Brad.
Brad was always steady. I'd never seen him post anything. I once asked him why, and he said if there was a real problem, a post wouldn't solve it; if it was just to vent, it was pointless, and talking face-to-face was better. He said he wasn't young anymore and didn't want to waste time.
Someone not even thirty claiming to be old—I thought it was just an excuse. He probably hadn't met anyone or anything worth posting about.
His friends always said he was dull and boring and might never get married. Brad would laugh and say that God wouldn't let such a devout believer live alone forever.
During our years at the Northern Institute of the Arts, I tried many times to get Brad to post something, even preparing images for him, but he always refused. He said if he ever found the girl worth spending his life with, he would post about it.
I couldn't remember how I felt when I heard that.
But tonight, he actually posted something: "Waiting for you is my favorite thing." The picture showed two hands holding each other, with sunlight and two blooming roses in the background.
One hand was large with tanned skin and strong joints, the other slender and fair. Together, they looked beautiful.
The roses reminded me of the long rose corridor at the Northern Institute of the Arts.
I had many happy memories with Brad in that beautiful corridor. But I couldn't understand what Brad meant.
I was so naive back then, completely unaware of Brad's feelings, hoping for the day he would post something.
Now, Brad finally posted, but he was holding someone else's hand. And my feelings weren't joyful; they were tinged with a bitter sadness.
Looking at that picture, I felt like Brad posted it on purpose, aimed at me.
I thought he was using this to tell me he had found the girl worth spending his life with.
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