Chapter 3

The next day, my roommate dragged me to the basketball tournament to support his sister, Kate Barnes.

It was her first game as a freshman, and she was so nervous that her hands shook.

I brought water and sports drinks to the court, helping out whenever I could.

The moment the whistle blew, I looked up and saw Vivian dribbling past her opponent.

Sam was standing off the court with a towel and a bottle of water in his hands.

"Nice shot!" Every time Vivian scored, he would clap and shout excitedly.

And whenever she came off court to catch her breath, he was there with water, wiping away her sweat as if he had done it countless times before.

The students around us whispered to one another.

"They really are a perfect match."

"Vivian can play the whole game without even slowing down. Sam definitely deserves credit for that."

I forced a smile and quickly looked back at Kate.

At the end of the third quarter, Vivian stepped off the court for a drink. Sam naturally draped a towel around the back of her neck.

As I looked down to open a water bottle, I caught sight of Vivian approaching out of the corner of my eye.

She glanced at the neatly arranged bottles by my feet and said with a frown, "Sam already prepared everything for me. You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

After a pause, she added, "If you have that much free time, maybe you should spend it studying instead."

I gripped the water bottle and remained silent.

She continued, "Look at Sam. He's the top student in our major and has won multiple awards. He manages his time so well. You should really learn from him."

I couldn't help but laugh. For the first time, I snapped back at her. "Why should I learn from him? And what does it have to do with you?"

Vivian was shocked. Her brows drew together. "Ryan, what's gotten into you? College really has changed you. You've completely lost your drive. With that attitude, how are we supposed to have a future—"

"A future?" I cut her off. My eyes stung. "We don't have a future together anymore."

Vivian opened her mouth, but no words came out.

She bent down to pick up the bottle of water by my feet, but another hand got to it first.

Kate opened the cap, took a big gulp, and grinned at me. "Ryan, the water you buy always tastes better."

After speaking, she stepped right between Vivian and me.

Vivian's hand hung in midair for a moment before she awkwardly pulled it back.

When she saw me lower my eyes and say nothing, her features tightened.

Sam looked at me and sneered, "Oh, so you came specifically to support Kate? No wonder you brought so much water."

He paused, a slight smirk on his lips. "I was actually curious why you didn't even look over at Vivian once."

Hearing that, Vivian's face fell.

I curled my lip into a faint smile and said, "Sam, aren't you paying a little too much attention to me? People might think you're dating Kate and get jealous."

"Ryan!" Vivian cut me off sharply, her voice low but laced with anger. "What are you talking about? Do you have any idea how many times Sam has spoken up for you? Can you stop being so petty?"

Before I could defend myself, she pressed on, "When I was in trouble, Sam was always there for me. When I stayed up studying until midnight and wanted to give up, he was the one who stayed with me. When I came down with a fever, he spent the whole night with me at the campus clinic."

Vivian's eyes suddenly turned red, and her voice trembled. "You keep asking why I don't answer your messages. But did you ever think about why? You were never there when I needed you!"

The crowd around us suddenly went dead quiet. A few students glanced over.

Sam lowered his eyes and tugged lightly at Vivian's sleeve, as if trying to calm her down or make himself look like the reasonable one.

At that moment, I felt the love and patience I had clung to for four years finally begin to crumble.