Chapter 2 A Close Friend

"Cut it out already! Do you think Aidan can't hear you gossiping about him?" Selena snapped.

Her friends were stunned into silence. Nobody expected her to get so worked up.

After all, when they mocked me earlier, she had brushed it off as harmless teasing. But now, for Aidan's sake, she lost her temper and yelled at them.

I instantly realized where I stood in her heart.

I lowered my head to hide the sad smile that threatened to emerge.

Just then, I noticed Aidan approaching me. "You must be Selena's boyfriend. Nice to meet you. I'm Aidan Stewart."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "Did you see how much she cares about me? You don't stand a chance against me."

But all I could see was the amulet hanging around his neck.

It was a worn black obsidian necklace.

Noticing where my gaze had landed, he pulled out the necklace and flashed me a grin. "What is it? Is something wrong with the amulet Selena gave me? I declined it, but she insisted, saying it really worked."

Selena immediately grew flustered and stepped between us. "We were doing extreme sports last time. I gave him the necklace to keep him safe. Let it go, Noah. It isn't valuable."

Seeing her try hard to defend Aidan, I eventually bit back those accusations.

We met during my senior year. Back then, I was a proud boy with many talents.

Unfortunately, I fell in love with her, the girl who sat next to me.

The day I confessed to her, and she accepted, she asked, "Will you go to the same community college as me? I'd love to see you every day."

At that moment, I lost all reason and agreed.

Later, everyone else saw my decision as self-destruction. As my grades plummeted, the praise I once received turned into harsh mockery.

"Is he really the top of our grade? Did he cheat in every exam before to secure the position?"

"Did he seriously fall for the infamous player, Selena Nelson? Well, maybe they deserve each other."

I didn't care about those personal attacks. All I cared for was Selena.

After high school, I successfully enrolled in the same community college as her.

On the first day of orientation, I gave her the only thing I had left from my late parents. An amulet.

"It carries my best wishes," I told her. "I hope it keeps you safe."

Disgust flickered across her face, but she still accepted it.

Now, she had given it to someone else. She hadn't said anything, but her message was obvious—I should step back and make way for Aidan.

She introduced both of us to each other. "Aidan, meet Noah, a close friend of mine. Noah, this is Aidan, a junior."

Aidan's eyes lit up. "I see. Noah is just a friend, not your boyfriend."

Then he held out his hand. "Nice to meet you again, Noah." He emphasized the word 'friend.'

The reminder was like a stab to my heart. It was unbearably painful.

I looked past his hand and rose to leave. "Since the laptop is broken, you should work on the assignment yourself. I need to go now."

Before leaving, I caught their expressions.

Aidan barely hid his smile, while Selena looked like something was weighing on her mind.

I had not gone far when Aidan called out, "Let's go shopping for clothes, Selena. You criticized my fashion sense last time. You need to style me today."

Hearing that, I quickened my pace and left the place.

…

When I finally arrived home, I found a link to a short reel in my inbox.

Wearing new clothes, Aidan looked glamorous in the reel. In front of him, Selena fixed his tie with a tender look, as if she were his wife.

The caption read, 'A woman who loves you will take time to make you a better person.'

The video was soon recalled before Aidan sent me a message, 'I'm sorry, Noah. I didn't mean to send the video to you. Please ignore it.'

I put my phone away with a sneer.

I knew he was trying to provoke me, and I refused to take the bait.

I just couldn't get over Selena's behavior. She had disappointed me.

Over the past five years of our relationship, she had never chosen a new outfit for me.

Despite my usual composure, I got carried away sometimes and liked to show her my affection. I remembered tugging at her sleeve, hoping she would buy me a new shirt.

"But your wardrobe is full of black shirts," she would say. "No one can tell whether you're wearing a new one or not."

She always wrapped me in a hug, distracting me with her kisses. "You're a genius, Noah. You're different from other people. Wearing black all the time is what makes you special."

Every attempt ended the same way. Slowly, I gave up on asking anything from her.

After seeing Aidan's video, I finally realized what Selena said was only an excuse.

Unfortunately, I used to be madly in love with her and believed every word she said.

I exhaled deeply and entered my dorm. I needed to pack for my trip abroad.

When I began packing, I found that I didn't have many things to bring with me.

After all, my life had revolved around Selena for years. I had never thought to buy anything for myself.