Ch 1

"I Love you….."

*___________________________*

"Hey, did you hear?"

I glanced up, already bracing myself for whatever drama was about to hit. "What now?"

"Don't tell me you didn't hear... She accepted."

I froze, my hand curling into a fist before I could stop it, nails biting into my palm. "She actually accepted his proposal?"

"Yep." They leaned in, practically buzzing with excitement. "And get this—she did it right in front of everyone. Middle of the school grounds, like she was starring in some rom-com or something. Bold move. You should've seen it. She said yes... all smiles, like the whole world was watching." Their expression shifted, noticing my silence. "Hey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I'm fine. Just... feeling a little faint."

"Well, with the amount of time you spend locked away in study mode, it's no surprise." They laughed, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside me.

An uneasy chuckle escaped me, followed by a tired sigh I couldn't quite keep in. "Yeah... you're right."

They blinked, pausing mid-laugh. "Wait. What?"

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You just agreed with me." Their eyes narrowed, mock suspicion creeping into their voice. "Something's wrong. You never agree with me. Like, never. Seriously, what's going on?"

I tilted my head, trying to keep it light even though my insides felt like they were tightening into knots. "I just agreed with you, and now you're doubting me? Come on."

"Yes! No! I mean, you never give in like this." They pointed at me, eyes wide. "This isn't normal. Spill."

I sighed, a slow, resigned breath as I fought the urge to collapse under the weight of everything. "I'm just... off, okay? Maybe I do need a break. From all of this."

I could feel their eyes on me, studying my face, but I kept mine focused elsewhere, anywhere but on them. The last thing I wanted was sympathy, not now. Not when I was barely holding it together.

The courtyard was almost deserted, only the distant sound of laughter and fading footsteps filling the empty space. I stood there, leaning against the wall, as if the cool stone could somehow hold me together. My thoughts were a mess—fragments of what-ifs and bitter flashes of things I hadn't even seen but couldn't stop picturing.

She said yes. The words echoed in my head, gnawing at me. I hadn't been there to witness it, but that didn't stop me from imagining it. In my mind, it played out over and over, cruelly vivid.

He would've waited until everyone was watching, of course. He liked to make a spectacle. I imagined her standing in the center of the courtyard, her eyes wide with surprise when he got down on one knee, all those people circling around them, waiting with bated breath. She'd probably laughed in that way she does when she's nervous, brushing her hair behind her ear. And then she would have smiled, that bright, dazzling smile that made my chest ache every time I saw it.

I pictured his voice, loud and confident, asking her in front of everyone—because he knew he'd win her over. How could he not? He had everything I didn't.

And then her answer. That perfect, enthusiastic "yes," echoing across the courtyard, just loud enough for me to hear in my head, even though I hadn't been there. The crowd probably erupted in applause, friends congratulating them, maybe even a few tears of joy. It was the kind of scene she'd always dreamed of, and he'd given it to her.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, trying to shake the image away, but it stuck to me like glue. I hadn't seen it, but I felt it. Every piece of it cut deeper than the last.

A gentle shake on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts. "Fate! Fate! Can you hear me? Hey!"

I blinked, startled back to reality. Standing in front of me was the one person I'd been thinking about more than I wanted to admit. The girl I loved. The girl who had accepted his proposal. She smiled at me, the same way she always did, completely oblivious to the turmoil bubbling beneath the surface.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, her voice as sweet as ever, as if nothing had changed. As if she hadn't just said yes to someone else.

I didn't answer, couldn't even find the words. I just stared at her, the weight of everything pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. How could she stand there so casually? How could she not see?

But she didn't seem to notice the tension, the silence stretching too long. Instead, she laughed lightly, brushing off my silence as if it were nothing. "You know, I was waiting forever for him to do that. I mean, can you believe it? He finally asked me! It feels unreal."

I bit back the words burning in my throat. Unreal. That's one way to put it. The scene I had played over in my head felt unreal too, but in the worst way possible. She had waited for him—while I had waited for her.

Her words cut deeper with every breath, and all I could do was stand there, nodding like I understood, like I wasn't falling apart. She hadn't even told me how it had happened, but I didn't need her to. I'd built the whole thing up in my mind already, and nothing she said would make it hurt any less.

"I can't believe he finally did it. It's like everything's falling into place, you know?" she added, her eyes shining with excitement.

I forced a nod, my lips tight, while inside, my heart was screaming. She was happy. He had given her what I never could. I imagined them together, holding hands, kissing, everyone looking at them like they were the perfect couple. The thought made my stomach turn, but I couldn't let her see that. Not now.

"Yeah," I finally muttered, my voice hoarse. "I guess it is."

She smiled again, completely oblivious to the way my chest tightened. She had no idea that I had loved her. No idea that every time I looked at her, I was hoping, praying, that one day she'd see me the way she saw him. But now, I was just the friend standing on the sidelines, listening to her talk about the perfect moment I would never have.

And she never noticed.