Chapter 2

Without a word, I pushed Julia away.

She looked completely shocked. "You're actually shoving me now? Austin, have I been too nice to you or something?"

Julia went ballistic, yanking at me and pounding my wound without holding back.

I could feel the sharp pain stabbing through me again and again. My temples throbbed, and the dizziness from losing blood fogged my brain.

Julia's yells slowly faded as I drifted out of consciousness. The last thing I heard from her was, "Austin, quit pretending!"

When I finally woke up, it was already noon the next day. I was still lying on the cold ground, and Julia was gone.

I got up, my head spinning, with blood-soaked clothes clinging to me. I gritted my teeth, ripped off the bloody clothes, and changed into something clean.

My skin felt like it was on fire. I knew it was because my wound had reopened and gotten infected. I had to get to the hospital fast, but my head was dizzy, and even getting to my feet was a struggle.

I managed to drag myself to the door when my phone suddenly blared as if trying to give me a heart attack. The screen lit up with Julia's name. I pursed my lips and reluctantly answered the call.

Julia's voice came through, impatient. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

Oh, I'd missed a few calls from her.

Before I could answer, Julia continued, "Forget it. Are you up yet? I made some soup for you. Help yourself."

I was taken aback. We'd just had a huge fight before I passed out. Still, she reached out and even made me soup. Was she trying to patch things up? A flicker of hope sparked inside me.

When I first met Julia, we were still in college. I was on the student council, helping with financial aid registration. She gave me a shy look, her youthful innocence shining through.

She told me her family wasn't wealthy, but her parents were too proud to let her apply for student loans. So, she had to rely completely on her part-time job to pay for everything.

Her beauty and strength struck me. From then on, I did whatever I could to help her. I finally confessed my feelings on her birthday and gave her a gift I'd been saving up for.

Julia was shocked. "Austin, my family's not doing well, and I've got a younger brother to look after. Are you sure you want to be with me?"

I nodded firmly. "Lia, I admire how strong you are. A person like you shouldn't let family problems hold you back. I want to do whatever I can for you."

Julia blushed but finally took the gift.

Those sweet moments now felt painfully ironic. The money I'd worked so hard to save probably meant nothing to Julia, who could easily afford a yacht.

I couldn't tell if my sincerity actually got to her or if she was just mocking my naivety when she took the gift. But I had loved her for so long that even a glimmer of hope kept me from giving up.

"Lia, I—"

Julia cut me off sharply. "After you're done with the soup, bring the papers I left at home to my office."

My hand went still around my phone. The thought of making up with her felt like a joke.