He Chose His Old Crush and Lost Me Chapter 11

He Chose His Old Crush and Lost Me Chapter 11

My mind drifted back to my birthday last year

Jake had taken me out for my birthday.

After the candles, he asked what I wished for.

I hesitated. “I want you to spend every blithday with me from now on.”

He laughed. “What about your boyfriend? He might not like that.”

“I don’t want anyone else as my boyfriend.”

Jake went still. Then slowly, he leaned closer across the table.

His eyes caught the light-warm, teasing, dangerous.

“Then what kind of boyfriend do you want?”

He was so close I could feel his breath on my skin.

“How about someone like me, Lily?”

I froze. Fireworks exploding in my head.

Years of hoping, about to become real.

I could barely speak.

“Re-really?”

He smiled. “Have I ever lied to you?”

My heart stopped. I nodded frantically.

“You can’t take it back.”

A low laugh rumbled in his chest. He pulled me into his arms.

“If your brother finds out, he’s going to kill me for real.”

After that, I almost got caught so many times.

Alex would eye me with suspicion.

“Lily, are you secretly seeing someone? Guys are good at pretending. Don’t fall for crap.”

“If you find someone, bring them to me.”

d sooft He’d slap lake on the shoulder

Fine if you won’t show me, at least show Jake You trust has more than your

wo brother

I used to laugh to myself, imagining the look on Alex’s face when he found out

Jake would chime in, deadpan: “Lily, listen to your brother. I’ll run the background check for you

Later, I started feeling bad for Alex. I wanted to come clean.

Jake always brushed me off.

“Your brother would kill me if he found out I stole his baby sister before you even graduated. And Lily-my career isn’t stable yet. I want to show up at your parents’ door looking like someone they’d trust their daughter with.”

I’d believed every word.

I’d thought he was being considerate.

All those excuses-they’d been about her. The girl in his heart he couldn’t reach. The moonlight he was still waiting to shine on him.

He never wanted to stand in daylight with me.

And I’d pitied him. Made him soup. Pressed his shirts. Cleaned his place. Kept the path clear so he

could chase his dreams.

I blinked back to the video call.

It felt like a thousand needles piercing my chest.

A sob broke out of me.

“Alex…. I’m so sorry.”

His face was soft with sympathy.

“Get some sleep, Lily. In a few days, I’ll take you out somewhere.”