In the seventh year of loving Aiden Blackwood, I suddenly let go of my obsession. During our last breakup, he said, “Don’t be so blindly devoted to one person. It’s kind of scary.” “While you’re still young, try dating more people.” I smiled and replied, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.” After the breakup, Aiden’s life went on as usual. The first month, he never mentioned me. The second month, he started to feel uneasy. The third month, when he stood dejectedly outside my house late at night, I had just calmed Ethan down in bed. The man, no longer angry, deliberately carried me to the floor-to-ceiling window. Kissing me with barely concealed jealousy, he asked, “Look how pitiful he is. Do you want to go down and see him?” 0 When Aiden looked at that young, fresh-faced girl for the third time, I gazed at those eyes that had once captivated my entire adolescence. Suddenly, I let go of my obsession. He looked at every girl with deep affection. And I was just the most insignificant one. “Hazel,” Aiden leaned forward to extinguish his cigarette and looked at me. “Actually, when I agreed to be with you that day…” “It was just a moment of weakness.” “But I tried, and found that it still doesn’t work.” He raised his hand and cupped my face. His fingertips gently brushed my slightly reddened eyes, his actions gentle, his voice even gentler. “I can’t like you the way I like a woman.” “That time I kissed you when I was drunk was just an accident.” I pushed his hand away. “Aiden, if you want to say something, just say it directly.” He leaned back on the sofa, his expression casual and indifferent. “Let’s just go back to being good friends.” “That’s the most comfortable, don’t you think?” I looked at him and smiled slightly, “After today, okay?” Today was a bit special. But Aiden had probably long forgotten. He frowned and reluctantly agreed, “Fine.” 0
When I returned from the restroom, Aiden was exchanging SnapChat contacts with that pretty girl. He still remembered he had a girlfriend. Even though his eyes were burning with desire when looking at the girl, He still restrained himself from going further. But for the rest of the time, he was distracted every minute and every second. The SnapChat notification sound went off every few seconds. And he would reply immediately. I remembered the pitiful few chat records between us over the years. Large patches of green interspersed with small blocks of white. The longest time, it took him a month to remember to reply to me. It turns out the difference between liking and not liking is so obvious. Just past midnight, Aiden got up eagerly, “It’s late, let’s call it a night.” I also stood up, “Wait a moment.” Our friends were curious and stopped in their tracks. I walked in front of Aiden and looked at him calmly. “Aiden.” “I won’t wait for you anymore.” He looked as if he had heard something very funny. He shrugged and laughed, “I don’t think I ever asked you to wait.” Then he turned to everyone else, “Right, guys?” 0
Indeed, he had never asked me to wait. It was me who always followed behind him. When he was in a relationship, I would stay away. When he broke up and needed me, I was always there. Even his friends couldn’t stand it anymore. “Haze, even a backup plan isn’t as pathetic as you. Is it worth it?” “He’s just using you for entertainment, to fill the void between relationships.” But I acted as if I had never been hurt. Never thought about giving up. So now when I seriously said I wouldn’t wait for him anymore, Not a single person believed me. Aiden ruffled my hair. “Haze,” he called me like he used to when we were just friends. “It’s about time.” “Being so blindly devoted to one person is scary, you know?” Aiden smiled, his deep eyes filled with the charm of spring blossoms. At that moment, I suddenly understood. The opposite of gentleness is actually the most heartless promiscuity. “While you’re still young, go date more people.” “You’re not ugly, why hang onto one tree?” I thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.” He probably didn’t expect me to agree so readily. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Good luck, try a few.” 0
Aiden quickly got a new girlfriend. They hit it off and things progressed rapidly. On the third day, the girl had already moved into his house to live with him. Our mutual friends felt it was unfair to me. “Aiden is really cruel, how is this any different from a seamless transition?” “Haze, if you’re sad, just cry it out. Don’t keep it bottled up inside.” “I don’t think they’ll last long. In a few days when they break up, he’ll realize you’re the best.” “But this time, don’t make up with him so quickly. Give him the cold shoulder for a while.” I sighed and looked at the people in front of me, “We won’t be getting back together.” “Don’t joke, Haze. You can’t do it.” “Yeah, you don’t have to pretend to be strong in front of us.” My friends looked at me with pity and sympathy. I smiled and didn’t argue further. On Aiden’s day off, I went to his house. His new girlfriend opened the door. The girl looked at me curiously, “Who are you looking for?” “Is Aiden here? I came to get something.” “What do you want to get?” “A little storage jar with a bunny on it.” “I’ll help you look for it.” “It’s long gone.” Aiden’s voice suddenly came from behind. He had come downstairs at some point, probably just woken up, wearing a robe, his face still showing signs of sleepiness. The girl ran over to him with a coquettish laugh. He casually put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. Then he glanced at me with a half-smile, “What, you want to take back something you’ve given away?” “Where did you throw it? I’ll go look.” “Who remembers?” Aiden lit a cigarette, “Maybe it fell and broke.” “If not, I can buy you a new one to make up for it?” I glanced at them. The girl, as if marking her territory, was hanging all over him. Aiden seemed to be enjoying it. “Forget it.” “It’s not worth much anyway. I don’t want it anymore.” I turned to leave. “Haze.” But Aiden suddenly spoke up. I paused for a moment. But I didn’t stop, nor did I look back. 0
The first month after the breakup, I started trying to accept new relationships. Friends introduced me to two guys, but after brief interactions, nothing came of it. This left me feeling a bit defeated and slightly depressed. The second month after the breakup, my best friend invited me out to cheer up. After hanging out with some high school classmates and friends, She took me to a nightclub. The little dress I was wearing was something my best friend had forced me to change into. Drunk and dizzy, I was dragged onto the dance floor. She took a short video and posted it on Instagram. “Our little Haze has grown into a beautiful, sexy woman! PS: This beauty is single and ready to mingle! Guys, come and get her!” After posting, she tossed her phone aside and came to dance with me. Completely unaware that her Instagram was blowing up. Until the excited crowd suddenly began to stir. The girl classmate next to me pinched my arm and silently screamed: “Haze, Haze, who’s that guy?” “Ah! How lucky am I to see such a perfect specimen!” I looked over with my drunk, blurry eyes. In the dazzling lights, a tall, imposing man in a black business suit was striding towards us with long legs. Although I couldn’t see his face clearly, just his physique was enough to make one want to scream. “It’s Ethan Sterling! Am I seeing things? The genius campus heartthrob from high school, Ethan Sterling?” I couldn’t help but snicker, “Ethan Sterling? How could a good student like him come to a place like a nightclub!” “You must be seeing things.” I pushed away my classmate’s hand and turned to hug my best friend and continue dancing. But my arm was firmly gripped by someone: “Hazel.” The alcohol made my reactions a bit slow. My gaze fixed blankly on that incredibly beautiful hand. The fingers were so long, the knuckles distinct, with faint blue veins visible on the back of the hand. Indescribably sexy. An expensive steel watch adorned his slender wrist. My gaze slowly moved upward, finally settling on that handsome, noble face. I froze. “Ethan Sterling, is it really you?” “Come with me.” His expression was extremely serious, so serious that one didn’t dare to resist at all. I was pulled out of the dance floor, looking back at my best friend for help. But she was cowering behind others, not daring to take a step forward. Ethan pulled me to an empty corridor. I had just steadied myself when he pinned me against the wall. “Hazel.” He cupped my face and, catching me completely off guard, kissed me decisively. “If you’re willing to consider strangers you’ve just met, then can you… try being with me?” 0
Maybe it was the alcohol making me confused. Maybe it was this deep kiss leaving me breathless. My mind was in chaos, jumbled and then blank. Finally, as the long kiss ended, I leaned weakly against Ethan’s chest. “But…” “But what?” “Weren’t you and Aiden good friends before?” Ethan looked down at me, Raising his hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “So what? Is it illegal?” “Of course not…” “So, are you willing?” “You’ve already kissed me, and now you’re asking if I’m willing?” I widened my eyes, with quite a fierce demeanor. Ethan suddenly smiled. “Hazel.” His fingertips brushed my cheek, then settled on the corner of my lips. “We know each other well, that’s better than strangers, right?” My brain was burning hot, and I actually thought Ethan made a lot of sense. Rather than facing a completely strange man, it was better to choose him. Not only did we know each other well, but he was also good-looking. It seemed like a win-win situation. “Then… shall we give it a try?” The smile in Ethan’s eyes deepened. He lowered his head and kissed me again: “I’ll do my best to ensure your satisfaction.” 0
Somehow, the news of my two failed blind dates reached Aiden’s ears. Someone mentioned it when they were drinking: “Last time I went out for dinner, I saw Haze with her boyfriend.” “What boyfriend? They just had two meals together, it’s already over.” “That’s right, Haze’s heart and mind are all filled with Aiden, how could she really date someone else?” Aiden casually took a sip of his drink, his voice indifferent: “She’s just stubborn, you guys aren’t meeting her for the first time.” “But come to think of it, Aiden, Haze hasn’t contacted you for a month or two, that’s a bit unusual.” “Isn’t she always like this? When I’m dating someone else, she becomes as quiet as if she’s dead.” Aiden put down his glass, but inexplicably felt a bit irritated. He had been single for seven or eight days, but there was still no news from Hazel. Last night at 3 AM, he posted on Instagram saying he was in a bad mood and wanted to drink. Hazel didn’t comment or contact him. “It’s no fun with just us guys drinking, why don’t we call Haze over?” “Why call her? She can’t even drink.” Aiden said, but then changed his tone. “It’s fine to call her. I also want to ask her what kind of taste she has, dating such losers.” His friend laughed and dialed the number. But after two calls, both were hung up. “At this hour, could she be on a date with a man?” Aiden’s expression remained unchanged, but the smile at the corner of his lips faded. He picked up his phone with a cold face and directly dialed a string of numbers. It was only when the call connected that he suddenly realized. At some point, he had memorized Hazel’s phone number by heart. The phone rang for a long time with no answer. Just as he was about to hang up in frustration, the other end suddenly picked up. “Hello, who is this?” A soft female voice answered, but it was hoarse and slightly breathless. It was hard not to think too much. Aiden’s face suddenly changed: “Hazel, what are you doing?”
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