Confession (chapter 6)

The moment Jade pulled away from the kiss, Cindy knew the damage had already been done.

The silence during the drive home was unbearable.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them dared to look at the other.

When they arrived at her house, Jade stopped the car and unlocked the doors.

“We’re here,” he said quietly.

Cindy looked at him, hoping he would say something more—anything at all—but he kept his eyes fixed on the steering wheel.

“I’m… sorry,” she whispered.

Jade gave a slight nod but didn’t respond.

Realizing there was nothing else she could do, Cindy stepped out of the car and slowly walked toward her house.

Jade waited until she was safely inside before driving away.

When he returned to his apartment, he tossed his keys onto the table and sank onto the couch.

He buried his face in his hands.

“What was I thinking?” he muttered to himself.

He replayed the evening over and over in his mind.

He was the teacher.

She was his student.

He should never have allowed things to become so personal.

He couldn’t understand why he had let his guard down or why, for those few seconds, he had forgotten every professional boundary he had promised himself he would never cross.

Determined not to make the same mistake twice, Jade decided to keep his distance.

Over the next few days, he avoided Cindy completely.

He entered class just before the lesson began, left immediately after it ended, and made sure they never crossed paths outside the classroom.

Every time Cindy tried to approach him, he was already gone.

His sudden distance hurt far more than she expected.

She blamed herself for everything.

She wished she could explain, apologize again, or simply hear him speak to her, but he gave her no opportunity.

As the days passed, she became quieter.

The cheerful girl everyone knew slowly disappeared behind forced smiles and distant thoughts.

Jade had only one week left as the substitute lecturer before their regular lecturer returned.

Cindy knew time was running out.

If she didn’t find the courage to tell him how she truly felt, she might never get another chance.

Gerald was the first person to notice the change in her.

She hardly laughed anymore.

She barely spoke during breaks.

Even when she smiled, it never reached her eyes.

One afternoon, Gerald found her sitting alone beneath a tree on campus.

“You’ve been different lately,” he said gently.

Cindy forced a smile.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

She looked away.

“You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Cindy remained silent.

Gerald smiled knowingly.

“You know,” he said, “I may not know exactly what’s going on, but I’m your best friend for a reason. I can tell when something is weighing on your heart.”

Cindy looked at him in surprise.

She hadn’t told anyone about Jade.

Not Lenny.

Not Ella.

No one.

Yet somehow, Gerald had still noticed.

He sat beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Whatever it is,” he said, “don’t spend your life wondering ‘what if.’ If your heart is telling you something, face it honestly. Even if things don’t work out, at least you’ll know you tried.”

He pulled her into a warm hug.

“Go after what your heart wants,” he whispered. “Just be prepared to accept whatever answer you receive.”

His words stayed with her.

By the end of the week, the regular lecturer had fully recovered and returned to teaching.

The students welcomed him back warmly, though many couldn’t hide their disappointment that Sir Jade was gone.

Cindy, however, barely noticed the celebration.

She had made up her mind.

There was one thing left she needed to do.

That evening, she stood outside Jade’s apartment, her heart pounding against her chest.

She stared at the door for a long moment before finally gathering the courage to knock.

Whatever happened next, she knew she couldn’t walk away without seeing him one last time.

When the knock came, Jade wasn’t expecting anyone.

He opened the door and froze.

“Cindy…”

She stood before him, her eyes red and swollen, as though she had spent days fighting back tears.

He stepped aside without a word, allowing her inside.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Cindy broke the silence.

“I couldn’t let you leave without seeing you one last time.”

Jade looked at her quietly.

She took a deep breath and let her emotions pour out.

“I know I crossed a line,” she began. “I’m sorry if I made things difficult for you. I never wanted to put you in an uncomfortable position. I just… I couldn’t ignore how I felt anymore.”

Her voice trembled.

“I tried to forget you, but I couldn’t. Every day you avoided me hurt more than the last. I don’t expect you to feel the same way… I just needed you to know the truth before it was too late.”

Jade listened without interrupting.

When she finished, he lowered his eyes.

“Cindy…” he said softly. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

A small smile appeared on her face, but it faded almost immediately as he continued.

“I’m leaving.”

She blinked.

“What?”

“I accepted a new job in another state. I’ll be moving in a few days.”

His words felt like a punch to the chest.

For a long moment, Cindy simply stared at him.

“So… this is goodbye?”

Jade nodded reluctantly.

“I think it’s for the best.”

Tears filled Cindy’s eyes.

She had come hoping for another chance, but instead she was losing him completely.

She smiled through her tears, trying to stay strong.

“I guess life really has terrible timing.”

Jade’s expression softened.

“I’m sorry.”

There was a long silence between them.

Then, before she could lose her courage, Cindy stepped closer.

She looked into his eyes, committing every detail of his face to memory.

“I just want you to remember me,” she whispered.

Before either of them could second-guess the moment, she leaned forward and kissed him.

For an instant, Jade remained still, caught between his emotions and his better judgment.

He gently returned the kiss, then slowly pulled away.

Resting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and let out a quiet breath.

“We can’t do this,” he said softly.

His voice carried regret rather than anger.

“If I let this go any further, it will only make saying goodbye even harder.”

Cindy nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks.

She understood.

Even though it hurt, she knew this wasn’t a rejection of her feelings—it was his attempt to do the right thing.

After a few quiet moments, she wiped away her tears and managed a small smile.

“Then… thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making me believe I could feel this way about someone.”

Jade smiled sadly.

“And thank you… for reminding me that some people come into our lives when we least expect them.”

Neither of them spoke again.

They simply stood there for a moment, knowing that some goodbyes are never easy, no matter how much they are needed.

Cindy gave him one more glance then kissed him again.

This time neither of them hesitated, Jade picked Cindy up and shoved her onto the bed kissing her deeply, not giving her the chance to breath.