Chapter 3 Brian, Again...

Between believing and not, I'm sure everyone experiences this. Maybe some of you have gone through something like this too. There are times when the more we try to forget someone, the more they seem to appear, as if they have a radar and a mission to thwart our efforts.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm experiencing right now. But of course, Brian doesn't mean to ruin my plans. There must be another reason why he ended up finding me. But what?

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"Where are you going?" A tall guy with tan skin and neat clothes stands in front of me, stopping my and Wendy's steps. He's definitely not a stranger to me. I know him too well, which makes it even harder for me to forget him. So frustrating. Yep... it's Brian Edison.

"None of your business!!" I reply sharply and try to walk away. But my steps are halted as Brian grabs my wrist and holds it tightly.

No... it's so tight that it hurts.

"Wait. I need to talk to you," Brian asks, but I'm not going to listen. What's the point of talking to someone who doesn't appreciate my feelings at all?

"I can't." I pull my wrist away from his grip.

"I need to talk to you," Brian says again, reaching for my wrist once more. This time, his grip feels even tighter.

"Brian, enough. If Alli says she can't, it means she can't. Stop pushing it." Wendy, who has been quiet, finally speaks up to get Brian to leave me alone. She also pushes Brian's hand away from me.

Brian pauses and gives Wendy an angry look. It's a warning for her to stay quiet and not interfere. And apparently, he's successful in shutting her up. My friend stops talking.

"Allison, please. I really need to talk to you," he pleads again, his gaze softening a bit.

That gentle look used to make my heart long to see him again and again. Now, it just makes my chest feel tight and nervous.

And... wait, stop it, Alli. Don't let yourself be swayed so easily again. Remember your effort to forget this guy. Remember, Alli... remember.

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask, still with a sharp tone, looking out the window.

Yeah... I won't be soft with him anymore. I don't want that feeling to resurface between us just because of his gentle gaze. I don't want to fall back into feelings that are one-sided now.

Yeah... I admit, I still have a tiny bit of affection for this guy. Remember... just a tiny bit, and I don't want that to grow just because of this. No.

"Just talk now. I don't have much time," I say again, with a sarcastic look.

"Not here. Let's go to the rooftop," Brian replies, starting to annoy me.

"What's the difference between the rooftop and here? The topic is still the same, right?" I'm starting to get frustrated with all his requests. Come on... I've promised myself I wouldn't go to that rooftop again.

This time, Brian doesn't answer. Instead, he grabs my wrist tightly and forcefully pulls me to follow him. His sudden action makes me drop the box I was carrying, scattering its contents on the floor.

Wendy, seeing me being dragged away, can't do anything to stop Brian. She knows very well that he would blow up if she intervened.

"Let go!!" I plead, pushing Brian's hand away as we arrive on the rooftop.

The gentle breeze and warm morning sun greet us as we get there. But that warmth has no effect on my heart, which is currently overwhelmed with emotion due to Brian's reckless behavior.

He walks away from me and stops at the edge of the rooftop, looking far into the sky. I just stand there, watching him while rubbing my wrist, which still hurts from his grip.

A big question mark hangs in my mind. For me, there's nothing important left to discuss with him after our breakup. When he said our relationship was over, that's when our story ended.

I wait a long time for him to say something. What does this guy really want? He dragged me here under the pretense of wanting to talk.

But now he's just silent, leaving me in suspense with all the guesses running through my head.

"Still not going to talk?" I ask, losing my patience.

"Then I'm leaving." I turn to walk away.

"Wait!!" he calls out, successfully stopping me in my tracks.

Even though I don't turn back, I can clearly hear Brian's footsteps getting closer to me. Closer and closer, until I'm jolted when he pulls my hand again, forcing me to turn around.

And there he is, standing right in front of me. We're only about a foot apart. He looks at me with that familiar, soothing gaze that used to calm my heated heart.

My heart starts racing again. I can't breathe. Alli, wake up. Don't let yourself fall in love with Brian again.

Wake up, Alli... be aware. The wounds he caused haven't healed yet. My mind screams in chaos.

I step back a few paces from Brian, pushing his hand away from my wrist again.

I throw my gaze up to the vast sky, even if the sun's rays hinder my view. Honestly, that's much better than facing the guy who looks like the sky. It hurts me even more.

"What do you really want to talk about?" I ask coldly, not wanting to get lost in the moment that almost made me fall for him again.

"If you're planning to leave the office just to distance yourself from me, you should cancel that plan." Brian starts the conversation I've been waiting for.

See... he didn't come to me because he still has feelings for me or wants to apologize for breaking my heart. It seems he only thinks of himself.

"Whatever my reasons for leaving this job, it's none of your business. Whether I stay here or go, that's entirely my choice, Brian. Not yours," I reply, annoyed. I hate it when he acts like he cares when he really doesn't. So fake...

"Come on, Allison, don't be childish like that. Do you know who is blamed the most by Mr. Hugo for your resignation? Me. Me... Allison," He says, strengthening my suspicion.

Yeah... his concern this time is just because he doesn't want his reputation tarnished in front of Mr Hugo, our boss.

"Then why should I care?" I reply, not wanting to engage. What a joke.

"Selfish. Just cancel your plan. So, Mr. Hugo knows that I can keep his star employee from quitting just because I broke up with her," Brian says, sounding overly confident.

I look at him in disbelief. Seriously, my hand itches to slap him when he says I'm selfish.

But I hold back that urge because I think it's pointless. It will just make me look childish in his eyes. In a situation like this, I have to stay calm.

"Selfish? Yeah, well, your judgment of me is ridiculous. I'm definitely not changing my decision," I say confidently.

"...."

"And one more thing, leaving here isn't solely because of you, Brian. You're just one of the many reasons I'm leaving. So... don't be so full of yourself."

Brian remains silent. He just looks at me with an unreadable expression. I don't know what he's thinking right now, but I know I can't let my guard down. I can't be swayed by his charm again.

I let out a harsh breath after waiting for Brian to speak again. But he seems content to stay quiet.

"Is that it? Nothing more to discuss? If so, I'm leaving."

I start to walk away from Brian, but a moment later, his words stop me again.

"If you're not going to cancel your plans for me, at least do it for Mom," Brian suddenly says, confusing me.

Every time he talks about his mom, my heart softens. Even the hottest anger can suddenly turn cold, like ice in the North Pole.

It might sound exaggerated, but yeah... I always lose when it comes to parents. Especially this is about his mom.

I know Brian only lives with her. His dad passed away when he was six. Brian's world has gotten worse since his mom was diagnosed with brain cancer seven months ago.

"Mr. Hugo knows very well what happened between us. And if I can't convince you, he's going to fire me," Brian says, walking closer to me and standing right in front of me.

"And if I get fired, how am I supposed to get money for Mom's treatment?" he continues, looking deeply into my eyes.

Brian's words really touch my heart this time. Even though he doesn't appreciate my feelings, at least he has some redeeming quality because of his deep love for his mom.

"For Mom's sake, I'm begging you to cancel your plans, Alli," Brian pleads, his eyes starting to fill with tears. I suddenly feel a wave of compassion. I can't let Brian get fired just because of my selfishness. That would endanger his mom's health.

But... if I stay here, how can I forget everything?

"Do you care about Mom, right?" Brian asks, grabbing both my hands and holding them tightly. He treats me as if I'm still his girlfriend. I know this is just a tactic to get me to agree to his request. Ugh... so annoying.

"Yeah... I care about Aunt Casey. Your mom. But that doesn't mean I'll fulfill your request," I reply, still sticking to my decision.

"Alli, don't you feel sorry for Mom?"

This time, I don't want to answer his question. I glance at him for a moment before turning to leave. I don't care if he's cursing me in frustration behind my back.

Hmm, who says I don't feel sorry for his mom? If I could, I would help Aunt Casey's treatment. I refuse his request because I believe there's another way for me to leave here without making things harder for anyone.

Yeah... there must be.

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