I Pretended To Be His Crush For Three Years Chapter 12

I Pretended To Be His Crush For Three Years Chapter 12

How did he end up here?

Wasn’t he supposed to be with Nyssa? Why was he standing outside her school?

Nora’s first reaction wasn’t surprise-it was fear.

She was afraid he’d walk over. Afraid he’d speak. Afraid he’d say those words again: “Nora, give me some

time.”

More than anything, she was afraid she’d give in.

She lowered her head, quickened her pace, and turned in the opposite direction.

“Nora.”

His voice came from behind. Quiet, but clear.

Her steps faltered for just a moment. But she didn’t stop.

“Nora. Stop right there.”

His voice was closer now, breathless. He was running.

She gripped the strap of her supply bag and walked faster and faster.

A hand caught her wrist.

Warm. Firm. Knuckles sharp and defined.

Just like every time they’d held hands over the past three years.

Her heart stopped for one beat, then hammered back to life.

“Let go,” she said. Her voice came out steadier than she’d expected.

“No.”

“Reid, we broke up.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To find you.”

She turned to face him. Under the baseball cap, his face was wrecked.

Sunken eyes. Chapped lips. Dark stubble along his jaw.

He’d lost weight in the month since she’d seen him-so much that he looked like he’d been sick.

“What do you want?” She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. “Aren’t you here with Nyssa?”

The moment she said it, she regretted it. It sounded like jealousy.

But his eyes lit up. “You saw that?”

“No.” Too fast. “I didn’t see anything.”

He smiled. A small thing, barely there-but his eyes held a quiet light. “You still can’t look at me when you’re

lying. Same as always.”

Her face flushed. He’d caught her.

“What do you want?” she asked again.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What?”

He let go of her wrist and took half a step back.

She looked into his eyes, waiting for him to speak.

Then he said something that made her freeze.

“Nora. Did you know from the beginning?”

“… What do you mean?” Her voice tightened. Her throat closed up, like a hand was squeezing it.

He looked at her-deep, searching.

“Did you hear me talking to the system that day? In the hallway.”

Her heart dropped. Then it raced.

He knew.

How did he know?

“Your system told you?” Her voice was shaking.

“No.” He shook his head. “The system’s been broken for a long time.”

“What?”

“Since the day you bumped into me,” he said. “Two static bursts-and it shut down completely. It never came

back.”

She stared at him.

The system… had broken?

“Then how did you-”

“I figured it out.” He cut her off. “At first I thought it was strange. Why would the system suddenly crash? Then I started thinking about that day. The more I thought, the more it didn’t add up.”

“You showed up at the perfect time. Right after I’d talked to the system. And you bumped right into me-

straight into my arms.”

“I thought I’d mistaken you for someone else. But now I think maybe-from the very beginning-you were standing in someone else’s place.”

Her eyes burned.

He knew. And he hadn’t been told by the system. He’d figured it out on his own.

He’d always known she wasn’t the one he was supposed to find.