Lahat ng Kabanata ng Unrequited : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

We sat in class, and watching El's antics was enough to kill the mood. He kept casting jealous glances at Olivia and Ronald, who were engrossed in whatever the hell they were discussing. The fact that Olivia didn't notice him seemed to fuel his anger, and I found a twisted sense of satisfaction in that. However, my mind was preoccupied with my own problems, and I wasn't paying much attention to his drama. He leaned in closer and whispered something I didn't quite catch. "What'd you say?" I asked, noticing his impatient expression. "What do you think is going on between Olivia and that scum?" he asked, his voice laced with jealousy. I was forced to glance over at them, and I shrugged. "They just have a good relationship, which you're hell-bent on destroying. I'd advise you to leave it alone or go ask them yourself," I replied. He glared at me, muttering under his breath, but I ignored it since I hadn't caught what he'd said. I looked down at myself and swore under m

El wasn’t joking when he said he planned to get wasted tonight. Drink after drink, he kept asking for more, ignoring the warning looks I shot his way. His cheeks were flushed, his grin sloppy, and his eyes unfocused—he was completely gone.He looked ridiculous, honestly, but then out of nowhere he leaned close and slurred, “I’m gonna marry you soon.”My stomach twisted. He had this habit of embarrassing me whenever he drank too much, and that was exactly why I usually forced him to drink at home. Tonight was different. Tonight was a hard day for him, and I couldn’t say no.When he started climbing onto a chair, I rushed to steady him. He laughed, smacked my hand away, and suddenly shouted, “Hey, guys, get over here!” His voice cut through the music. Heads turned. My heart sank.Trying to escape the spotlight, I slipped to a nearby table. I knew what was coming. Sure enough, El staggered toward the DJ booth. No use stopping him—I trailed after him anyway, anxiety twisting in my chest.

The blonde, tall girl stood beside Kae, but his eyes were glued to his wine glass, uninterested.“Hi, I’m Lucy,” she whispered, her tone dripping with flirtation. I scoffed under my breath.“I’ll remember that,” Kae replied flatly, not even sparing her a glance. I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips.I didn’t catch what she said next, but I saw her bold attempt—sliding her hand into his. Kae shot her a glare so sharp that she quickly withdrew. For some strange reason, that little exchange left me oddly satisfied. I told myself it was only because of Elian.Still, her persistence began to grate on me. She leaned closer, whispering again in that fake, sultry tone, but Kae wasn’t having it. He lit a cigarette, smoked lazily, and ignored her like she was background noise.“C’mon, don’t just stand there,” she urged, louder this time.Even the handsome bartender seemed entertained, grinning as he pretended to polish a glass while stealing glances at the scene. I felt a flicker of

Kae was sprawled on the bed like he’d just been handed world peace, and I was sitting with my back against the headboard, watching him practically glow. For someone who usually walks around like a thundercloud in human form, the change was shocking. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that all those gloomy expressions were mostly because of the mess with his dad.He was just lying there, staring at the ceiling with this lazy smile tugging at his lips. I nudged him with my foot.“You’re really that happy?” I asked.“To be honest, yeah,” he said, still smiling, and just like that, Olivia crept into my head again.I’d been waiting for the right moment to bring her up, and this felt like it. I was still convinced he’d gone to warn her to stay away from me.“Kae… why did you hurt Olivia?” I asked, more serious this time.He finally looked at me, completely indifferent. “Are you going to keep asking me that? Why don’t you ask your friend? She was very comfortable lying to you.”

I spotted Kae’s car from a distance, parked as if it owned the whole lot. He was in the driver’s seat, head resting back, eyes closed. I opened the door and got in without a word. The silence was thick. He didn’t look at me, didn’t say anything, just started the engine like this was a normal after-school pickup. I buckled my seatbelt and stared out the window. My phone buzzed in my hand, and I pretended to read something just so I wouldn’t have to look at him. Two whole minutes passed and he still hadn’t moved the car. I glanced over. His hands were on the wheel, but he wasn’t driving. He was just… sitting there. Jaw tight. Like he was trying not to say something stupid. “Are you waiting for an invitation to start the car?” I asked. His eyes flicked to me, then back to the windshield. “I’m thinking.” “About what? Which tone to use when you refuse to apologize?” He scoffed, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “About whether to drop you off or leave you here to walk.”