No More Saving Me

On the way home, Stefan Adler kept gripping his phone. His mind was clearly elsewhere.

I called his name three times before he finally snapped out of it.

He put away his phone and reached for my hand gently.

"Sorry, babe. I was thinking about what to make you for dinner tonight and zoned out."

I did not answer. I moved aside, avoiding his touch, and pointed at his phone.

"I saw her friend request."

Stefan froze for a second, then immediately rejected it in front of me.

All the way back, he chased after me, explaining and apologizing. I ignored every word.

When we turned a corner, the endless voice beside my ear suddenly disappeared.

I looked back. At some point, Stefan had vanished.

The hurt surged up without warning. My head filled with the things people had said five years ago, when I first fell for Stefan.

"Give up. Stefan Adler will only love Nadine Keller for the rest of his life."

"They grew up together. What makes you think some girl who showed up later can take her place?"

"Honestly, even if they break up someday, Stefan will never forget Nadine."

The more I thought about it, the worse I felt.

Just as I was about to cry, a street vendor nearby called out to me.

"Miss, why aren't you here with your boyfriend today?"

I looked at the vendor, feeling a little lost.

"You know me?"

The vendor smiled.

"Your boyfriend showed me pictures of you two. Back when you were in college, he came here every day to buy cinnamon roasted nuts. Said his girlfriend loved them most.

"Sometimes it was freezing out, so he'd tuck the bag inside his coat to keep it warm, even if it burned him a little.

"That silly boyfriend of yours is absolutely sincere about you."

I stood there, not knowing what to say.

The next second, a coat wrapped around me, carrying a familiar scent.

Stefan's breathless voice sounded above me.

"I lost you at the crosswalk. You scared me to death."

I looked up and crashed straight into the lingering fear in his eyes.

He brought me home, ran a hot bath for me, and made my favorite braised fish.

During dinner, Stefan was still looking down at his phone.

The fish in my mouth tasted like wax. My mind kept drifting back to that friend request.

Then, in the next second, Stefan excitedly pushed his phone toward me.

His eyes were bright.

"Lise, I finally got us front-row tickets to the concert!

"Now our little sweetheart can see her idol up close."