Chapter 6

Gabriel's POV

I lay alone in the nurse's office all day. No one took care of me or helped dress my wounds.

When I got up that evening, I had to brace myself against the wall for a while before I felt steady enough to stand.

Once I was back in my dorm, I absentmindedly opened Instagram. The moment I saw the first post, I paused.

Esther had posted a close-up of her and Lionel clinking glasses. She had tagged a trendy new restaurant downtown.

The caption was, "Just checked out another trendy spot. So good!"

Last night, she left me alone at the nurse's office and said, "I think you need some time to cool off."

Then she went downtown and had dinner with Lionel for three hours. They took pictures and posted them on Instagram, laughing as they clinked glasses together.

But I didn't care about that anymore.

Someone knocked on the dorm room door before opening it.

Lionel poked his head into the room and grinned at me as if nothing had ever happened. "Come on, Gabriel! Let me treat you to dinner.

"Consider it my apology. I didn't invite you yesterday because you were hurt. Don't be mad, okay?"

Lionel came over and grabbed me by the wrist, his grip surprisingly firm. "Come on. I already booked us a table."

Just like that, he pulled me out the door.

The restaurant was packed, and the smell of food filled the air. The three of us took our seats. Esther sat to my left, while Lionel sat across from me.

"Gabriel, here you go." Lionel made a token effort to put something on my plate. Then he turned to Esther and continued chatting with her.

As they talked, I sat beside them, pushing my food around without taking a single bite. Noticing this, he suddenly leaned over.

"Are you still mad at us? Honestly, I get it. You've always been introverted and insecure since you were a child. And you've always been kind of petty too.

"Of course. It must be hard for you to see Esther and me getting along so well." Lionel smiled. I couldn't tell whether it was out of pity or concern.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you how to deal with people and handle yourself. After all, we're best friends."

With that, Lionel turned to Esther and winked at her. "Isn't that right, Esther? I'll always have your back."

"Oh, just shut up and eat your food."

The two of them burst into laughter again, making my stomach churn. I set my fork down.

"I'm practically done here. I have to go." I got up and headed for the door.

Lionel got up too and ran after me, grabbing me by the arm. "You barely had anything. Are you mad again? If I did something wrong, just tell me…"

Esther's voice rang out from behind us. "Lionel wanted to show you how sorry he was, so he went out of his way to treat you to dinner. You're seriously still mad at him? We're friends, aren't we? Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this?"

There was a side street next to the restaurant entrance, with cars passing back and forth in front of us.

Lionel was still holding onto my arm, turning sideways to speak to Esther.

"Let me go!" I tried to yank my arm free so I could leave this place as soon as possible, but he refused to let go. He just kept insisting that I go back inside and continue eating.

Just then, a van came speeding out of nowhere.

Esther yelled, "Watch out!"

She came running in my direction, but in the chaos, I saw her reach out and grab Lionel's wrist, yanking him hard toward the curb. They stumbled and fell together on the sidewalk, away from the road.

Esther held Lionel protectively in her arms, one hand cradling the back of his head.

I stood in the middle of the road, unable to react in time. The van slammed into me, sending me flying. I heard my body hit the pavement.

Esther spotted me from across the street. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she were about to scream my name.

But the next moment, Lionel, who was still in her arms, hissed in pain. She immediately looked down at him, frantically checking if he was hurt.

Esther desperately looked around for a car to take him to the hospital. Finally, she helped him into a taxi, staying right by his side.

Even as she left, she never once looked at me.

I lay sprawled on the pavement as five years of memories flashed before my eyes.

Her smile. The way she looked from behind. All the promises she had made. Everything we had came to nothing.

"Gabriel, as long as I'm here, you'll never be alone again."

A sharp pain in my back slowly spread until it reached my chest. It felt like my heart was being torn apart, leaving me completely drained.

Someone took me to the hospital. The doctor wanted to admit me, but I refused.

After picking up my medication, I got my wounds bandaged before calling for a taxi. The moment I stepped out of the hospital, the cold wind hit me, making me shiver from head to toe.

I hadn't brought a single thing with me. All I had was myself—the quiet, innocent person I used to be.

The streetlights blurred past one after another. I watched the city's neon lights fade into the distance behind me and slowly closed my eyes.

"Esther, we're done."