Chapter 54 No More the Past
As I walked up to the apartment door, I noticed a small red dot. It was Daniel, leaning against the wall, smoking.
The corner was dimly lit, so you wouldn't notice him unless you looked closely.
The cigarette's glow flickered, hiding Daniel's face in the shadows.
"Why are you back so late? Don't you know Helen would be worried?" Daniel asked softly, blowing a perfect smoke ring.
Brad raised an eyebrow. Just as I was about to speak, he said in a deep voice, "Worried Jane might get ditched again? Not everyone flakes out like you."
Daniel stubbed out his cigarette and stood up straight. He looked at Brad, then at me, and finally turned around and left without a word.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but his back seemed a bit lonely.
Without Zoe, Daniel seemed so lonely. They must have really been in love.
Brad knocked on my door and handed me back to Helen. "Helen, I'm returning your beloved daughter."
He placed my hand in Helen's, and I was momentarily dazed.
I suddenly remembered those TV scenes where the bride's father hands her to her new husband, telling him to take good care of her.
It was similar, but the roles were reversed, which was kind of funny.
That night, I excitedly told Helen every detail of my outing. By the time I finished washing up and got into bed, it was almost midnight.
I was tired but still excited, so I bothered Amelia again.
Just as we were chatting happily, Daniel sent me a message, just a few words: [Had fun?]
I shrugged. He had just seen whether I was having fun, so why ask again? Maybe he wanted to confirm something.
In the Facebook chat box, I wrote and deleted repeatedly, finally replying with two words: [Had fun.]
He replied instantly: [Jane, u & Brad...]
A simple sentence that made my heart feel cold. I couldn't understand his position or intention in asking this.
I asked, [Wut u tryna say?]
He sent me a voice message, just a few seconds long, but I didn't listen to it. I deleted it and blocked him on Facebook.
Two days later, Daniel came to my house looking for me. He said Brad had plans with classmates, so he was bored and wanted to chat with me. He didn't mention the Facebook incident, which meant he hadn't sent me any more messages since that night.
That was fine.
No more contact, no more disturbances, each living our own lives.
"If you're bored, go find Zoe. I don't want to be misunderstood by her all the time. You should come less often." I let him in out of politeness, though I was reluctant.
Daniel sprawled on the sofa, his head resting on the back. "She went back to Northport to pay respects to her ancestors."
My heart sank. The scene of Zoe and John kissing in the flower corridor suddenly surfaced in my mind and wouldn't go away.
Usually, paying respects to ancestors is done before the New Year.
It was hard to determine what Zoe was actually doing, using the excuse of paying respects to her ancestors to go back to Northport at this time.
I looked at Daniel with pity, feeling his devotion was undeserved.
Over the years, I had seen how good Daniel was to Zoe, giving his all, even defying his parents for her.
I wanted to tell him everything I had seen. Despite how he had hurt me before, we had grown up together, and I didn't want to see him deceived.
But I didn't dare speak up. Daniel never believed me.
Maybe my gaze was too serious because he raised his hand to cover my eyes, not letting me look at him, then insisted on taking me out to eat.
I refused without hesitation. Last time was still fresh in my mind, and I didn't want to go through that again.
Daniel said, "Why won't you go? Are you still holding onto what happened last time? Don't worry, it's winter now, there won't be such heavy rain. Come on, I'm so lonely by myself."
"Daniel, you have a girlfriend now. Zoe is already wary of me. We should avoid suspicion. I don't want her to misunderstand anything," I replied.
"Jane, you weren't like this before. We grew up together. Except for sleeping and going to the bathroom, you were always following me. Why are you so distant now?" Daniel asked with a hint of resentment.
I smiled calmly, "That was your choice. We don't have the past anymore."
Daniel was stunned and didn't say anything more.
After a long time, Daniel opened the door and left my house.
I watched him leave without any emotional fluctuations.
I thought Daniel and I had completely drawn the line. We were really just neighbors now.
The next day, I went shopping with Amelia. Just as we stepped into the supermarket, Zoe's mother walked by, carrying two bags full of stuff, seemingly planning to make a barbecue.
I watched her walk past me quickly, feeling a mix of emotions.
"Isn't that Zoe's mother? Buying so much stuff, when will they finish eating?" Amelia asked.
"Daniel said Zoe and her mother went back to Northport to pay respects to their ancestors," I said.
Amelia's eyes widened, her mouth agape, "Did I see a ghost?"
No, we definitely saw Zoe's mother.
Zoe lied. She didn't go back to Northport. I thought the reason she did this was only one.
"Let's go check out her place," I suggested.
Amelia, always up for some drama, agreed immediately, and we called a cab to follow her.
Zoe's house was in the neighborhood next to mine, a twenty-minute walk at most.
We were a step too late. Just as we got out of the cab, we saw Zoe and a man coming out of the apartment door, taking the stuff from Zoe's mother, chatting and laughing as they went back inside.
That man was unmistakable—John.
"Just as I thought," I sneered.
She used the excuse of going back to her hometown to pay respects to her ancestors to stay at home and do shady things with John.
Zoe's boldness truly amazed me.
"Who's that man?" Amelia asked, her voice trembling.
"I heard he was her separated lover." I didn't want to say more because I still wanted to save some face for Daniel.
"Damn, Zoe really has guts. Isn't she afraid of running into Daniel?"
"Amelia, do you think I should help Daniel?"
"No, how could you help him? Do you think Daniel would believe you? Jane, you've finally moved on, don't get involved again. Just live your own life."
Fine, I wouldn't get involved. Everyone's opinion was the same, which meant my idea was wrong.
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