Chapter 2
She stood beneath the soft glow of the setting sun, her hair catching the light, her presence effortlessly bright.
"She said to wait here, Christine," one of Trei's friends said, keeping it casual.
Christine smiled gently. "Sure."
With a quick glance back, Trei's friends gave him a silent nod, and walked away.
Now, it was just the two of them.
Trei sat still, too quiet. His heart screamed, but his mouth refused to move. He was frozen, afraid to break the silence... afraid of what would come after.
Christine noticed him first.
"Oh, hi Trei," she said, voice soft.
"I didn't see you there."
He didn't answer.
Instead, he stood up.
His face was unreadable, eyes lowered to the ground. Step by step, he walked toward her, then stopped, just a breath away.
He bowed his head slightly
"Christine," he said, voice low. "Reject me."
"W–What?" Christine blinked, confused.
"I've been holding this in for too long."
He swallowed, but the lump in his throat made it hard to breathe.
"Every day, I'd look at you… and tell myself I was fine just being near you. That it was enough. But it wasn't."
His voice cracked, a tremor running through his words.
"I laughed with you, walked beside you, pretended I was okay. But inside… I was always screaming. Always wanting more. And every time I reminded myself that you weren't mine, it tore me apart."
The tears started to fall, hot and quick, sliding down his face. He didn't wipe them away. He let them come, because there was no hiding it anymore.
"I liked you, Christine. For so long, it hurt. And I kept asking myself... why can't I let go? Why can't I just erase you, like people erase old songs they don't listen to anymore? But I couldn't. No matter what I did, you stayed."
His breath hitched, his shoulders trembling.
"I tried everything. I buried myself in school, in work, in distractions... anything to stop thinking about you. But at the end of the day, you were still there. Every smile, every word, every small kindness from you, it all kept me chained."
He clenched his fists, shaking.
"And I hated myself for it. For being this weak. For watching from the sidelines while someone else got to hold you, while I told myself I was fine. Over and over again, I whispered: 'Let go, Trei. Let go.' But I couldn't... "
His chest felt tight, like it was suffocating him, and his knees almost buckled.
"So I made this plan, not to win you over, not to make you pity me, not to change your mind. I just… I... I needed to end it. I needed to tear this hope out of me before it kills me."
Finally, he lifted his pleading eyes.
"That's why I'm here. That's why I'm saying this. Because if I keep it locked inside, I'll keep chasing shadows that were never mine to begin with."
He inhaled sharply, almost a sob.
"Please… Christine. Reject me. Crush this hope. Break it completely. Because if you don't, I'll never stop waiting... Waiting for something that will never ever come true."
Trei's voice cracked, and Christine's chest ached. She pulled him into her arms, and he broke completely, sobs tearing through him as he clung to her. She held him close, steady against the weight he had carried alone for so long.
Christine gently pulled back just enough to meet his eyes.
"Shh, There there Trei... "
Christine's smile was tender, her voice sure. "I don't reject you Trei, I could never have"
He blinked through the blur of tears, his voice shaking.
"Why" he whispers. "Why don't you... Just reject me and help me move on—" his voice trembling barely visible, when he was suddenly cut off by Christines warm comforting voice.
"Shh, I can't do that... after all... I can never reject the person I like"
His tears kept falling, but something inside him shifted. The pain was still there, but now it was mixed with relief, with warmth. He buried his face against her, trembling as he whispered through the tears.
Trei could barely catch his breath, his voice still choked with tears as he looked at her with confusion.
"I like you Trei... More than my words could ever convey, and that is something, I'm truly glad to say"
Christine tightened her embrace, her heart breaking and healing all at once. And in that moment, even through his tears, Trei finally felt safe.