Never Have a Foot in Two Boats

Skye's POV

"In just two days, Alanna will be back. Seven years of waiting are finally coming to an end—we can’t afford any mistakes now."

Laughter erupted among the group after Derick’s announcement.

“Marriage? Bro, when Miss Alanna left for abroad all those years ago, you were bawling like a kid at the airport, swearing you’d marry her as soon as she came back.”

“Yeah! Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for the little one now.”

“Seriously, man, jokes are fine, but don’t mess around with marriage. If you do, you’ll have to grovel in Alanna’s ‘hell hath no fury’ zone.”

Derick smirked, unbothered. “Didn’t I already reject her? The only person I’ve ever wanted to marry is Alanna. She’s my dream.”

Hiding in the shadows, I felt tears blur my vision.

So, I had never been a part of Derick’s future—not from the very beginning.

I stumbled away from the scene, the cold night air hitting me like a slap in the face.

'Skye, if love isn’t yours to have, let it go,' I thought to myself in resignment.

Derick didn’t come home until the next morning but left warm Parisian pastries on the table, just like he always did.

When he saw me barefoot, he immediately rushed over and scooped me up, placing me on the couch.

“You never wear shoes. If your stomach cramps up during your period, don’t expect me to help,” he scolded lightly.

I laughed, tucking my feet under a cushion.

Derick knew my cycle like clockwork. Every time the pain made me pale, he’d hold me close, keeping my stomach warm.

But in two days, the person in his arms wouldn’t be me anymore.

When he held out a pastry to me, I shook my head.

No matter how sweet, love that doesn’t belong to you is just an illusion. Like pastries that taste overly sugary, they leave only bitterness behind.

“Derick, my advisor just called for a meeting, and I’m already running late. I’ll eat it when I get back.”

Before he could respond, I darted into the elevator, unable to bear sharing the same space with him any longer.

The moment I realized he didn’t love me, I should’ve understood—I didn’t belong here anymore.

For the first time, I lied to him. The truth was, there were no meetings. Apart from tomorrow’s graduation ceremony, I had nothing left at school.

At the café, I video called my brother.

His job was highly restrictive, and calls or video calls were always strictly scheduled. When he saw me, his first words were: “Are you and Derick now over?”

My brother had strongly opposed my relationship with Derick from the start, though he never told me why. Over time, as I gushed endlessly about Derick’s many virtues, he reluctantly came around.

Years ago, when Alanna invited me to study abroad, I chose to stay in the country for graduate school, unwilling to endure a long-distance relationship.

But I had always dreamed of working in an international lab.

This time, there was nothing holding me back. I was finally free to spread my wings and fly.

“Yeah, Alanna’s coming back,” I murmured, a silent understanding passing between us.

My brother, Piers Alvarez, stared at me through the screen, his expression somber. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“I'll buy you a ticket for tomorrow, okay?”

Tears streamed down my face as I nodded.

Within three minutes, a flight confirmation appeared on my phone: [July 7th, 12:12 a.m.]

It wasn’t just any date. It was Alanna’s birthday.

Derick was meticulous to a fault. He even marked Alanna’s birthday down to the minute.

I’d once found those numbers written on the cover of a locked journal while tidying up the house. Back then, I thought they were scribbled absentmindedly.

Now I knew—the faded numbers represented seven years of his devotion to Alanna.

From the café window, I watched Derick’s car speed past before I returned home.

Once there, I pulled out my suitcase and started packing.