Underground Love: Seven Years of Delusion

The coarse stems rasped against my fingertips as the bouquet was snatched away, leaving behind a subtle chill.

Matt Moore didn't spare me a glance. He turned and handed it to Claudia Litt immediately. "Claudia, this is perfect for you."

Claudia was Matt's college senior and the beloved campus belle. More than that, she was the candidate Matt's family had painstakingly picked to be his wife.

She took the flowers from him, and a blush crept onto her face. "Matt, Sienna won't mind, will she? Your mom just urged us to get married yesterday."

Claudia aimed her words at me, her eyes gleaming with provocation.

The unsuspecting classmates erupted into a chaotic bout of teasing.

"Just get together already!"

"Matt and Claudia are a match made in heaven!"

"It seems like wedding bells will be ringing again real soon!"

I froze on the spot, my arms still curved around the bouquet that was no longer there—much like my seven years of youth, exhausted and wasted.

Matt turned around, his gaze landing on me. He smiled nonchalantly. "Sienna's sensible. She won't make a scene."

Sensible.

Because of that, I had to pretend to be just a friend even though we were dating.

And because of that, even when he took the bouquet that belonged to me and publicly gave it to someone else, I had to smile and offer my blessings.

My best friend, Jane Shaw, stomped her feet in frustration and glared at Matt. She pulled me forward, wanting to argue. "Matt, what the hell? That bouquet belongs to Sienna! Are you…"

I held her back, shaking my head softly.

She knew all about my crush on Matt. So, I knew she felt bad for me and was furious on my behalf.

Having a crush was pure torture.

Countless times, I reached out to Matt only to pull back at the last second, swallowing my words before they could escape—all because I was terrified that once my feelings were known, I would lose him even as a friend.

But when Matt asked if I could really bear to leave him after secretly loving him for seven years, I realized what a total joke I had been.

He knew everything all along, yet he never acknowledged it. He just watched silently as I drowned in my feelings, struggling through it all.

As Matt noticed my reaction, his smile deepened. He leaned in and sneered, "Enough with your tantrum. Come to my house tonight.

"I just got a few good bottles of alcohol. You know how to mix drinks, right? Come over and make me one."

His tone was condescending, and it utterly disgusted me.

I fixed my gaze on him.

His bedroom eyes, usually tinged with indifference, were bright with amusement.

I said, "Matt, we were over a long time ago."

Matt's smile froze. Then, his gaze turned cold. "Sienna, playing hard to get once is enough. I don't have that much patience. Be good, alright?"

I gazed at him, realizing that the boy who stole my heart all those years ago was long gone.

Not wanting to prolong this, I turned and left the banquet hall.

I could hear Claudia's gentle attempts to calm him, followed by Matt's impatient sneer.

At that moment, I felt an unprecedented sense of peace.

It turned out that admitting that I didn't love Matt anymore wasn't that hard.