Chapter 5

Cain acted like he didn't hear me, eyes still shut. I sighed. "Keep faking and I'll dump you at a rest stop." Only then did Cain open his eyes with a slightly defeated look. "How did you figure it out?" I gave him a flat look. "Since when does someone who just fainted get up with a gentle nudge, walk himself to the car, sit down properly, and then keep fainting? And I saw the video Dorian sent me." At the mention of Dorian's name, Cain's face went stiff. He pressed his lips together like he was holding something back. I glanced at him. "If you want to say it, say it. Don't hold it in." A flash of surprise crossed Cain's eyes. I caught the faint curve at the corner of my mouth before I could stop it. He probably didn't know that I'd seen through him a long time ago. When we were kids, Cain probably didn't like me much. Whenever I was around, he kept a cold face and barely said a word. Whatever I said, he'd give me a one-word answer: "Yeah." I always figured that was just who he was. Until my third year of middle school, when I was taking part in a math competition held at his high school. After the exam, I walked past Cain's classroom. I found him loud and sharp-tongued in front of everyone else — not holding back at all, teasing and roasting anyone he didn't like. I didn't understand it then. He disliked me, so he went quiet in front of me. It wasn't until years later that I suddenly remembered the tips of his ears going red when he talked to me, and it hit me: maybe he liked me too. Because he liked me, he was too scared to be his real self in front of me. Just like now. He sat there for a long moment without a word. I asked him with a smile, "Weren't you pretty talkative back at the manor? What happened to all that?" A flush crept up Cain's face. He shot back quietly, "That was different." "How so?" "That was acting. I'm not... like that normally." He said it like he wasn't quite sure of himself. Then he just closed his mouth and didn't say another word. I didn't push. Once we arrived, I parked the car. As I looked out at the familiar streets, Cain finally relaxed and opened up. "It's been so long since I've been back." As he said it, something seemed to catch his eye. He stopped and said with a hint of surprise, "That place is still open?" I followed his gaze. A small café. It had been there since we were in primary school. Somehow it was still running. "Do you want to go in?" I asked. Cain nodded. Inside, everything looked just like it did in memory. The only difference was that the wall covered in old notes had yellowed with time. While we waited for our drinks, I noticed Cain standing at the wall, searching for something. I walked over. "What are you looking at?" Cain reached out and pointed at a note near the top. I saw the handwriting and went still. It was the note I'd written in my final year of high school, when I couldn't bring myself to confess to Cain, so I snuck into the café and left it on the wall. Seven words. 【Cain Thorne, I like you!】 A girl's burning, secret feelings. Cain said, "Two years ago, my mom wanted to come back and see the old neighborhood. I came with her." "I saw this café was still open, so I stepped inside to look around. I didn't expect to find what you left." "So you liked me too." "After that, I looked for you everywhere. I contacted every person I still had a number for. And I found out you were already bonded." Cain's smile dimmed for just a moment. But he pulled himself together quickly and said, "Ivy, do you know how much fate has connected us? Look here." Cain's fingertip moved to a note not far from mine. I recognized that handwriting too. It was Cain's. Five words. 【I really like Ivy.】 My eyes went hot. If I'd been a little braver back then, would things have been different? But there was no going back. That was okay. The Ivy of today was braver than the Ivy of back then. In one moment, the question I'd been turning over for half a year finally had an answer. "I'm going to sever the Bond with Dorian." I said it for Cain, and I said it for myself. Cain's eyes filled with light. Then, almost as quickly, the light went out. "But not now."