When the Long-lasting Secret Love Finally Exposed

I had a crush on my childhood friend for years, but he fell in love with my roommate at first sight.

He said impatiently, "Alice, don't get in the way of me pursuing her."

After I started dating someone else, he humbled himself before me.

Trembling, he raised a finger and said, "Alice, I've returned for you. Please wait for me one last time, okay?"

...

James sent me a photo. It was a group picture from my Twitter.

He asked who the girl next to me was.

It's Eva, my roommate.

James hadn't reached out to me for a long time.

I should reply quickly. But I couldn't send the reply.

James and I were neighbors and grew up together. We were childhood friends.

I had liked James since we were kids. He knew it, I knew it, and our mutual friends knew it.

Likewise, James didn't like me. He knew it, I knew it, and our mutual friends knew it.

James seemed impatient and replied, "?"

I moved my finger slightly. "Why are you asking?"

"Tell me."

"My roommate."

He didn't reply. But two hours later, he showed up at my dorm building, having crossed half the city.

James had always been a man of action. I knew that he had fallen for Eva.

Love at first sight.

James was three years older than me. When I started college, he began a startup with some college friends.

By my junior year, his startup succeeded.

He was always very busy. I only dared to call him every three days. Even then, he often didn't pick up. Even though we were in the same city.

The reason was always that he was busy.

He always said, "Alice, I only see you as a sister."

His voice and eyes always carried a hint of impatience.

It was completely different from how he treated his real sister.

Once, I quietly defended myself, "I didn't say anything."

"But your eyes are always on me," James said flatly. "I'm not blind."

That day, James posted a picture on Twitter.

A man with a piece of gum stuck to his shoe that he couldn't shake off.

I slowly faded out of his life.

I didn't dare look at him, let alone appear in front of him.

But now he showed up on his own.

He said to me, "Call your roommate down. I'll take you both to dinner."

James asked Eva what she liked to eat.

Eva said she liked spaghetti.

James smiled and said, "What a coincidence, I like spaghetti too."

James didn't like spaghetti.

Once on my birthday, James was home for summer break from college.

I begged him over the phone countless times to come celebrate my birthday with me.

James came, stood at the door, and looked completely impatient. "I'm here, okay?"

Not a word more.

He didn't even want to step inside.

I chased after him and asked why he wouldn't come in.

He said, "The thing I hate most is spaghetti."

During dinner, I saw James smiling gently across the table.

His gaze was fixed on the person next to me, Eva.

His usual distant and impatient look was now focused and gentle.

So it turned out...

James didn't dislike spaghetti.

He just didn't like having a meal with me.

After just three days, Eva shyly told me, "James and I are now together."

"Congratulations."

"Do you think he's serious about me?"