I Stressed for Months to Be With Them — They Were Never Planning to Be With Me Chapter 02

I Stressed for Months to Be With Them — They Were Never Planning to Be With Me Chapter 02

“What happened, sweetheart?”

“Just a few days ago, you said you couldn’t bear to leave the friends you grew up with.”

I managed a faint smile.

“Nothing happened. I just realized that I still want to paint.”

I had begun taking art lessons when I was three. For as long as I could remember, my greatest dream had been to become a painter.

Asher had always dismissed it.

“Art school is where people go when they can’t handle real academics. Stop looking for shortcuts and try learning something from Vanessa.”

During my senior year, I had finally worked up the courage to tell them that I wanted to apply to art schools.

Asher and Vanessa had stopped speaking to me for an entire month.

Our relationship only returned to normal after I put away my brushes and devoted all my time to my academic coursework.

A message appeared on my phone. It was from Vanessa.

[Claire, don’t forget we have driving practice tomorrow!]

The driving school’s practice lot was completely exposed to the sun. The three of us sat in the waiting area under the relentless afternoon sun.

Vanessa leaned affectionately against my shoulder.

“Claire, are the circles under my eyes really obvious?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Thank goodness Asher stayed on the phone with me all night, or I would’ve been bored out of my mind.”

She turned toward Asher, who was sitting beside us.

“Why didn’t you hang up after I fell asleep last night? I could hear you snoring when I woke up this morning.”

They teased each other back and forth, neither of them showing the slightest concern for how their conversation might make me feel.

The sun beat down relentlessly, leaving my exposed skin hot and sore.

Asher took a bottle of cold water from his bag and handed it to Vanessa.

Without thinking, I reached for one too, hoping to cool down.

“I didn’t bring one for you, Claire.”

“Your period’s due soon, and you always complain that cold drinks make your cramps worse.”

“Be good and buy a room-temperature bottle from the convenience store nearby.”

Watching how naturally they cared for each other made me feel like an outsider again.

When it was Vanessa’s turn to drive, she became visibly nervous. Asher remained beside the practice area despite the heat, patiently reassuring her the entire time.

The instructor smiled at them.

“You two make a cute couple. It’s enough to make the rest of us jealous.”

Vanessa opened her mouth to correct him, but Asher spoke first.

“She gets nervous easily. Could you be a little patient with her?”

When it was finally my turn, I climbed into the driver’s seat and looked at Asher pleadingly.

“Asher, could you stay close while I practice?”

He took my hand, his voice gentle but firm.

“Claire, you need to become more independent. Once college starts, I won’t always be around. You can’t expect me to handle everything for you.”

I was already tense when Vanessa suddenly screamed from the edge of the practice lot.

Startled, I pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.

The instructor immediately hit the passenger-side brake and stopped the car, but my forehead still struck the steering wheel hard enough to leave me dizzy.

Asher didn’t even look at me.

All he cared about was Vanessa, who had been frightened by the car’s sudden movement. Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms and rushed her to urgent care.

That was the moment I finally gave up on him.

Over the next several days, I packed my belongings alone.

When my phone rang, I assumed it was a delivery driver. The moment I stepped downstairs, however, I found a bouquet of my favorite lisianthus waiting outside.

Asher was standing at the door with the bouquet.

“Happy birthday, babe.”

Looking pleased with himself, he took out a necklace and fastened it around my neck.

“How did you know I liked this one?”

“The last time we went shopping, you stared at it for ages. I figured you wanted it, so I bought it for you.”

For a moment, my resolve weakened.

I remembered the boy Asher had once been, the one who had seemed to see no one in the world but me.

“Why are you crying?”

He reached out and gently wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.

“I’m sorry, Claire. I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t paid enough attention to how you’ve been feeling.”

“It’s your birthday. Let’s go see a movie.”

I pushed down my mixed emotions and nodded.

But the moment we arrived at the theater, I saw Vanessa waiting for us.

As soon as she saw us, she spoke.

“That romantic drama you picked looked painfully boring.”

“I exchanged the tickets for the documentary Asher and I have been wanting to see.”

I instinctively turned toward Asher, still hoping he would choose me for once.

“Claire, let’s watch the documentary first. Afterward, Vanessa and I can watch the romantic drama with you.”

I wanted to remind him that it was my birthday and that, for once, the decision should have been mine.

Instead, I pressed my lips together and answered quietly.

“Okay.”