Goodbye Was Just the Beginning

“Evan…” I murmured.

He abruptly held my cheeks and said, “I’m not dreaming, am I? You’re Ru. You’re Ruth, aren’t you?”

We were so close to each other’s faces that our breaths mingled.

There was confusion, disorientedness, and disbelief in his drunken gaze. At the same time, I could see an indescribable bitterness in his eyes.

An ache spread in my chest. It felt as though someone had smothered my heart. “Evan, you’re not dreaming. It’s me. I’m Ruth—”

Suddenly, Evan’s warm lips pressed against mine, swallowing the rest of my words. It was the gentlest kiss ever.

Yet, he released me before I could snap out of my daze. He had likely done so because he noticed my uneasy and startled expression.

Evan held my hand, pulled me off his chest, and placed me to sit beside him. Once the car started moving, he closed the privacy partition.

The enclosed space left me even more nervous.

However, Evan released my hand and said, “Don’t be afraid, Ru. I wouldn’t do anything to you in such a place.”

He then smoothed out the messy strands of hair on the side of my head. “I’ll patiently wait for our wedding night.”

My head hung low while my cheeks were bright red. It took a long while before I met his eyes again and hummed in acknowledgment.

Jonathan was drunk again. He refused to listen, no matter how much his friends persuaded him not to drink.

He didn’t understand what was making him feel so depressed these days. Perhaps he had grown tired of Evelyn.

She was unremarkable now that he no longer found her as refreshing as before. Then again, maybe he missed Ruth’s tender, serene, and thoughtful nature.

In truth, he had allowed his friends to call Bath the other time. However, she kept refusing to come and see him. Her reaction sparked an inexplicable rage in him, and he snatched the phone to utter those cold words.

Yet, Ruth didn’t say anything. She merely ended the call.

She didn’t go to check on Jonathan nor drive him home. She even remained unbothered despite lowing his body couldn’t take it whenever he drank too much.

Jonathan refused to admit he was a little anxious at the time. However, he quickly reminded himself that Ruth had liked him for a long time. They had dated for three years, not just three days or three months

He knew all too well how much their relationship mattered to Ruth. So, he convinced himself that she was only giving him the cold shoulder because she was just too hurt and upset with him right now.

He refused to believe Ruth would give up on their relationship.