Chapter 14
I didn’t give Noah’s situation much more thought.
After all, so many years had passed.
There was no point dredging any of it up now.
This trip back was for one purpose only–my solo exhibition.
It was the first time I’d ever held a show in the US, and I didn’t want anything to go wrong.
So until it was over, I couldn’t afford to let anything else distract me.
What I didn’t expect was that my reunion with Noah would actually have a second chapter.
Noah had fallen ill.
He had always been a well–known figure at school. So when he suddenly got sick, people naturally became concerned.
Soon, everyone was asking what had happened.
And as with all things, rumors began to spread.
No one knew where it had started, but before long, people were saying Noah got sick… because of me.
“Ugh, poor Noah. He always ends up getting hurt because of her.”
“You guys forget how he once got into a fight for Mint?”
“I mean, they broke up ages ago. Why is Noah still chasing after her?”
“Because he still loves her! He was crazy about her! When she left for Europe without a word, Noah nearly fell apart.”
“Exactly! Now that she’s back, he’s clinging to her again, afraid she’ll disappear.”
The alumni group chat, quiet for so long, had suddenly come alive.
It was obvious everyone had too much time on their hands, treating our past like a binge–worthy drama.
Each day, someone new would pop in with gossip.
One person would talk about how close Noah and I used to be, another would say how lost he became after I left.
And eventually, someone would always ask:
“So… why is she back this time? Don’t tell me it’s for Noah?”
By the time these messages reached me, the prep work for the exhibition was nearly complete.
That was when Ethan called.
He asked about the exhibition, as he always did, and after I reassured him everything was going smoothly, he sounded
Chapter 14
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apologetic.
“Sorry,” he said. “I really wish I could be there with you.”
I could hear the disappointment in his voice, tinged with helplessness.
I gave a small laugh and teased him gently,
“Ethan, it’s only two weeks. We’re just apart for half a month.”
“But even that feels so long,” he muttered.
“I miss you. We’ve never been apart this long before.”
…That was true.
Back when I held exhibitions abroad, he always found time to accompany me.
But this time, the distance was too great, and his work schedule too packed.
So I had come alone.
I reassured him, “I’ll come back to you as soon as it’s over.”
“Good. I’ll be there to pick you up.”
“Okay.”
That call left me in high spirits–at least, for a little while.
Not long after, someone who had once been a mutual friend of Noah and me sent me a message.
“Mint, I heard you’re back. Noah’s sick. Could you visit him?”
I frowned.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard, already halfway through typing “I can’t.”
When they sent another message: “Even if it’s been seven years… does it really have to be total strangers now?”
Chapter 14
