Chapter 282 Tears in Her Eyes
Adam's stare kinda reminded me of Brad's, but it wasn't quite the same. Was he really gonna spill his guts to me after I already turned him down? What was going through his head?
When Brad looked at me like that, I felt all shy, sweet, and excited.
But with Adam, it felt like I was being crushed, making me wanna bolt.
This had to be the difference between love and not-love.
I was super uneasy, scared he'd latch onto me like Daniel did.
No way, I had to get outta here.
So I started throwing my stuff together, hoping to bail from this suffocating space before things went south.
"Ahem, I saw you on the first day of grad school registration. What really got me were your eyes, so clean and clear. Just one look, and my heart skipped a beat. It was a feeling I'd never had in my almost twenty years. Later, I started keeping an eye on you. When I realized I wanted to see you every day, I knew I had some special feelings for you."
I was so shocked I coughed like crazy, almost hacking up a lung.
I really couldn't handle Adam confessing to me face-to-face.
I grabbed my packed stuff and tried to make a run for it, but he grabbed my arm, making it impossible to move.
"Don't rush off, let me finish. I like you, but I never thought about possessing you," Adam said, scratching his head.
I couldn't run, so I had no choice but to nervously sit back down and watch him warily. "Go ahead then."
Since escaping was a no-go, I might as well let him finish what he wanted to say, and hopefully, we could sort everything out in one go.
Living like a scaredy-cat, always hiding, wasn't my style.
"A new teacher, Mr. Pitt, came to the school. I heard he was super talented and handsome, and later I found out he was your boyfriend. At first, I was like, whatever. In terms of family background, looks, and smarts, I wasn't any worse than him. I thought I had a fifty-fifty shot at being your boyfriend. But after hanging out with Mr. Pitt a few times, I realized he was really something, which made me lose confidence. I started following you two like a stalker. He treats you so well that I had a gut feeling I had no chance. But my feelings for you were real, so I wanted to ask you face-to-face how you felt about me. Do you think we could date seriously, maybe even think about marriage? I promise I'd love and cherish you forever. If there's a chance, I swear I won't let you down."
He raised his hand and swore, looking so serious that it seemed like if I said no, he'd prove his sincerity with his life.
But matters of the heart couldn't be vague. I was sure I didn't have romantic feelings for him, not now, not ever.
So, he was right; we should clear things up.
I gathered my thoughts and then said to him, "Adam, I'm the kind of person who, once I give my heart, it's for life. I've decided to be with Brad forever, and I won't regret it till I die. So, what I'm saying is, there's no future for us together."
After saying that, I mustered up the courage to look him in the eye.
Honestly, I felt a bit guilty saying those words. But knowing there was no future, why let him waste his time and effort? Not accepting or rejecting, and just letting things get messy, would be too cruel and not my style.
Adam stared at me for a long time, and after realizing I wasn't lying, his eyes filled with tears. Then he lifted his head and shook it vigorously.
"Alright. But if we can't be together, at least let me be your friend. Jane, I, Adam, solemnly promise that you'll be my friend for life, no matter what."
After saying that, he waved and turned to leave, looking pretty graceful.
As he turned, I saw the tears glistening in his eyes.
I sighed softly. Love really was a killer. Luckily, he wasn't too deep in, or I'd feel really guilty.
Thankfully, he got it and wouldn't cling to something impossible, which might cause trouble for both of us.
But his words, "at least slet me be your friend," were so similar to what Jenny said back then. Behind this cool facade, would Adam become the next Jenny?
I sat there in a daze for a bit, then picked up my stuff to head home. When I looked up, I saw Brad standing at the door with shining eyes and a beautiful smile.
"Almost thirty, and you still can't kick the habit of eavesdropping?" I pouted, showing my disdain for his sneaky behavior.
"How did you find out?"
"That grin on your face, even a fool could see it." I crossed my arms and snorted.
Brad took the things from my hands, and with his other arm naturally draped over my shoulder, he pulled me close. "You're right, baby. Even a fool could see it."
Who was he talking about? Who was the fool?
Brad and I laughed and joked all the way home. Standing downstairs, Brad told me to go up by myself, saying he had come out specifically to walk me home but had a ton of work to do at school, which might keep him busy all night.
My previously happy mood instantly plummeted.
How long had it been since we went out and came home together? I couldn't even remember the last time we had dinner out or sat down for a chat. I thought today we could spend a lovely evening together, but once again, I was disappointed.
Disappointment tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I forced a helpless smile. Yet in Brad's eyes, I could see my smile was worse than crying.
Since we started dating, one misfortune after another had happened, leaving us both physically and mentally drained.
After finally getting through all the chaos, Brad was always busy. But my classmates' boyfriends were also teachers at the school, and I often saw them walking hand in hand. Wasn't he busy too? It seemed like, out of all the teachers in the world, only Brad was the busiest!
It had been almost a year, and we hadn't even had a proper date. Watching movies, going to amusement parks, seeing the ocean—things couples would do—we hadn't done any of them.
What kind of relationship was this?
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