Complicated

Becky's Pov

  When I received Kenneth's two voice messages, I didn't hesitate. I believed he had gone out of my reach, and I didn't expect anything positive to come out of it. Without much thought, I pressed play to listen to the first audio message.

  "Hi Becky, um... I... I want to say something, but it's complicated. I don't really know where to begin. But I want you to know that the reason I left early was because I was in love with you. You might not understand my perspective. How could I bear seeing you in the arms of my brother when just a day ago, you were in mine? I've seen situations like this in movies, and I always thought they were just scripts. But you and I have created a script just like that in real life. I love you as if I've known you for a decade, and I can't comprehend how this has happened. I'm sorry I left, but I did it because I love you and didn't want to cause myself any more pain. I left because I couldn't bear to see my brother touch you or even kiss you in front of me. I left because I was afraid I might turn into a beast fighting for you. Leaving that hotel was the most agonizing moment of my life, but I thought witnessing you kissing my brother would be even more agonizing. I appreciate the brief time we spent together. From the moment I first saw you at the airport, I was captivated by your beauty and even stopped to buy you a flower when we first met. When I discovered you were my brother's girlfriend, it felt like I hit my head against a solid rock. I haven't been myself since I came to London. I've wanted to call you, but the reality is that you belong to someone else. Why didn't I meet you first, Becky? You taught me that there can be joy in the midst of intimacy. I cherish you, but expressing my feelings to you openly would lead to disaster. I ran away quickly, hoping that my feelings for you would fade. I love you, but you belong to someone else, and just not someone else, my brother."

  Kenneth just confessed his love for me. Is this real? It means I'm not alone in this struggle. He said he left because he loved me. Lost in my thoughts, I almost forgot about the second audio message. I felt like a high school girl who had just received a love letter from her crush. Kenneth's declaration of love, reciprocating my own feelings, was enough to brighten my day. Previously, I had seen him as a player, and after that night, it would be up to me to decide whether to forget about him or not, but his voice conveyed sincerity.

  I grabbed my phone, pressed the record button, and responded, "Hi Kenneth, your message has given me hope and happiness. I thought I was on a path of despair, unaware of how much you cared about me. It would have been incredible if I had met you before your twin brother. Your words have lifted the pain from my heart. I judged you without knowing your story. Do you think there's a way for our love to survive? It's a beautiful love that deserves to be heard and known, not just in movies but in reality. I care deeply about you, and I'm in love with you. I don't know how it will work out, but I can't control my feelings for you."

  After sending this message, I eagerly awaited his reply, but it didn't come. I got up from my bed and started getting ready for work. As I took a shower, the aroma of a delicious breakfast wafted in from the kitchen, indicating that my mum was already preparing our meal. A smile remained on my face as I dressed for work. Kenneth's voice message had consumed my thoughts, with each phrase replaying uncontrollably in my mind. Finally, his awaited message arrived in the form of a text. It was simple and direct, saying,

  "Becky, what about my brother?"

Though brief, that message held significant meaning. It posed a question that gave me pause and required careful consideration. I left my bedroom and joined my mum. A few minutes later, we sat together at the dining table, enjoying our meal. Just as I was about to get up, my mum asked, 

  "When are you going to see Sebastian?"

Initially, I didn't know how to respond to my mum. She wanted me to visit Sebastian's place, and I started to wonder if Sebastian had somehow bribed her. But deep down, I understood her intentions.

  "Trust me, Becky, Sebastian has changed," she said, trying to erase my doubt. I just smiled, and I left the dining table. I grabbed my black bag and headed off to work. My mum interpreted my silence as an agreement that I will be seeing Sebastian.

  It has been around four days since I returned to work, and my first assignment was at the sales desk. Whenever there was no customer waiting to pay, I found myself absentmindedly caressing my left hand with my right thumb. It reminded me of how Kenneth held and caressed my hand throughout the anniversary, until nightfall. It has become a habit, something I do unconsciously. 

  Then my coworker, Harriet, said something that made me ponder what might have happened during the days I was away. She was stationed at payment terminal two when our manager called for her attention.

 "Were you on the run?" she asked before leaving. There wasn't enough time to continue the conversation before she left. 

  About ten minutes later, Harriet returned and winked at me, drawing my attention to someone entering the complex. I turned my head and saw Sebastian. He no longer needed crutches, but he held a walking stick in his right hand. He tried to avoid looking in my direction and headed towards the shelves to pick out his items. 

  As expected, he didn't linger and soon approached my desk, holding a rose. He stood in front of me, his gaze fixed on me, and my heart started racing as I tried not to appear nervous.

  "How much is this rose?" he asked, as if we had never met before.

  "The price is marked on it," I replied, maintaining the same facade, while Harriet observed the interaction. 

  "10 bucks!" he said. 

  "Yes," I responded. 

He took out his credit card and paid for the rose. All the while, my thoughts were unbalanced, believing that he had found someone else who had captured his attention. As I began processing his payment, Harriet quickly messaged me through our system and said, 

  "Hey, isn't this your boyfriend?" 

I didn't reply to her message. She must have made that comment based on our behavior towards each other. I wanted Sebastian to leave before saying anything. He took his card, placed the rose in front of me, and slid it towards me, almost causing it to fall into my lap. Then he turned and left. I swiftly removed the rose from my desk, as our workplace had implemented a rule against entertaining visits from our romantic partners during work hours. This rule was put in place because of Sebastian's past behavior when he embarrassed me a few months ago. I placed the rose on my lap and watched him as he walked away.

  "When was the last time he saw you?" Harriet asked. I looked down and noticed an envelope inside the rose. Harriet added, 

  "Your boyfriend has been coming here for the past four days."

I didn't respond to her because I wanted to get rid of the rose to avoid any further questions. I took the letter from the envelope and placed it in my small white bag. Then I heard a notification sound, but it turned out to be Harriet's phone. I tried my best not to let her see my reaction as I could tell she was happy after reading the message. She didn't say anything to me afterwards.

  Harriet had always been a source of irritation for me at work. She had a bossy personality, even though we were at the same level. Her behavior always made me want to keep my distance from her, and I had a feeling she might inform our manager about Sebastian coming and giving me a rose. But when I turned to look at her, she gave me a sincere expression. To be honest, when I saw Sebastian approaching me with the rose, I knew my job was at risk. I felt anxious, knowing the potential consequences, considering I relied on my salary to take care of myself and my mom.

  There was a CCTV camera above me, so I resisted the temptation to open the letter Sebastian gave me. However, an hour later, when my one-hour break arrived, I took my bag and went to the restroom. I retrieved the letter and opened it.

  "My dearest…”