Chapter 8
It wasn’t until Kai had finally left that I waved at Clementine. “Alright, stop the act and get down. It’s so dangerous!”
His bright, energetic face flushed a deep red. Caught off guard and a little flustered, he quickly swung himself back over the railing with practiced ease.
Peach widened her eyes in surprise. “Did you know from the start?”
I laughed. “Not from the start, but I understood as soon as he started narrating.”
Hearing that, she glared at Clementine, then curiously asked, “Then, why did you join us in the act?”
I glanced at Clementine. “If I didn’t wrap up the show, how would you guys end it? Was he supposed to jump, then?”
Peach choked on her saliva and coughed. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and coaxed, “I know you did this for me, but I also want you to know that I won’t forgive him this time—not ever again.”
She seemed uneasy. “You’d better mean it.”
As Peach and I were ready to leave the rooftop, Clementine, at the back, suddenly piped up. “It wasn’t entirely an act.”
At that moment, Peach glanced at us, then quietly slipped off.
1 stopped in my tracks and squeezed out a smile, playing dumb. “What was that?”
Clementine lowered his head to look at me. “The crush thing… was all real.”
It wasn’t like I couldn’t hear it–the sincerity hidden beneath his awkward words and playful tone, masked by the absurdity of the whole situation.
However, I had just come out of a long relationship, and all I felt now was exhaustion.
I was about to play dumb and brush it off when Clementine took a step forward.
The early morning sun cast a glow behind him, his shadow falling fully over me. Once again, I was struck by how tall he had grown.
With rare seriousness in his voice, he stated, “I’m only two years younger than you, and I have zero exes. I got into your college, in the same program and major as you. You know my credentials.
“This year, I got into a research institute. My salary’s just a little less than Kai’s, but I’m still young. I’ll catch up next year.
“More importantly, the person I love will come first–always. She’ll never have to settle for less.”
His sincerity made my hesitation feel almost cruel, like I was the one being unreasonable for not acknowledging his feelings.
Just as I was about to come up with a gentle rejection, he bent down slightly and looked up at me. He asked, “Do you want me to cry, too?”
At that moment, my heart pounded like a full–blown parade.
I must’ve lost my mind.
Otherwise, why would I agree to marry Clementine so easily, when it took me seven years with Kai just to say yes? Even then, I insisted on having the ceremony before signing the papers.
I had seen too many couples break apart over mismatched expectations after a wedding, so I thought I was being cautious. In the end, I turned out to be right.
Somehow, all it took was Clementine looking at me with those slightly pitiful puppy eyes for me to cave.
He said I promised him we would get our marriage certificate, so here we were, walking out of the courthouse, legally married. The sunlight was bright and warm, the ink on our marriage certificate still fresh, and everything felt just a little unreal.
But that was fine.
I was someone who knew how to cut losses when necessary. If this marriage ever started draining me instead of nurturing me, I would leave with no hesitation.
Though, honestly, Clementine probably wouldn’t give me that chance.
I looked over at him. His lips were curved in an irrepressible smile, and I couldn’t help smiling, too.
Now, the real headache was, how was I supposed to break this news to my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harmon, and most importantly, Peach?
