He smiled again, gazing at her with tender, affectionate eyes. "I didn’t hold on to you back then, and that’s why you married someone else. I felt terrible about it for a long, long time."

"I know you think that because you’ve been married, it wouldn’t be right for us to be together. You want me to find a ’better’ girl, don’t you?"

"But you silly girl, when my heart is already so full of you, how could I possibly make room for someone else and just settle?"

Annabelle Linton frowned slightly as she looked at him, not quite sure how to respond.

This wasn’t the outcome she wanted.

She didn’t want him to have such deep feelings for her.

Annabelle Linton pressed her lips together, her dark eyes glancing at him before she sighed. "I’m not the same Annabelle Linton you used to know..."

"I’m a wreck right now, completely wretched and with nothing to my name. But you’re different. You have such a bright future waiting for you. The girl who stands by your side should be pure and unblemished, with a heart that belongs only to you—not someone like me. Aaron Wyatt, isn’t it better for us to just be friends?"

Aaron Wyatt grew emotional. "Fine, but I’d much rather be your boyfriend, your life partner, someone who takes care of you. Annabelle, forget the past. Please, just try to slowly accept me, won’t you?"

Annabelle Linton was silent for a moment before saying flatly, "But I don’t love you."

She was telling the truth.

In her eyes, there was only friendship between them. A very, very deep friendship, the kind where you’d die for each other, but it wasn’t love.

Friendship and love are two completely different things. They shouldn’t be mixed up. Otherwise, you’re just wasting their time and betraying yourself.

That would be a deeply unethical thing to do.

"Then who do you like?"

"I don’t like anyone."

The corners of Aaron Wyatt’s mouth turned up, and a hopeful glimmer sparked in his eyes.

’She doesn’t like anyone. That means I still have a chance, at least.’

He looked at her with a gentle gaze, smiled, and said with determination, "All the more reason to give me a chance to make you fall in love with me. How will you know if you don’t try?"

Annabelle Linton pressed a hand to her aching forehead. ’I really don’t want to get sucked into the vortex of love again anytime soon.’ "It’s impossible, it just isn’t—"

"Don’t be in such a hurry to answer. I’m not forcing you to reply right now. Just think it over."

"No, what I mean is..."

"It’s getting dark. Let’s get some rest. Good night."

With that, Aaron Wyatt cut off whatever else Annabelle Linton was about to say and disappeared into his tent.

The sky gradually darkened. The mountain forest fell silent, save for the occasional sound of a bird flying past.

Brilliant stars rose one by one, embedding themselves in the black velvet night sky. They were distant and serene, looking so close it felt as if you could reach out and grab one.

Annabelle Linton stared blankly at the sky for a long, long time before finally sighing and entering her own tent.

’Annabelle Linton, you lost hope in love a long time ago. Just guard your heart and keep on living.’

’Don’t hold him back.’

...

For the next two days, the two of them interacted as they always had.

Except Annabelle Linton was clearly much quieter.

She wasn’t a talkative person to begin with, and now that she spoke even less, she’d go almost an entire day without saying a word.

Aaron Wyatt knew she was intentionally distancing herself from him. It hurt, but he also admired her for it.

’The girl he liked was just that responsible when it came to matters of the heart.’

Many people, after a relationship ends, can’t wait to jump into the next one to forget the last.

Or they find ways to show off their charm, seeking a confidence boost from others’ admiration or trying to get revenge on their ex.

But she didn’t.

She was very level-headed.

She handled her feelings rationally and refused to lead anyone on.

’A woman like that was truly worthy of admiration and respect.’

Early one morning, while Aaron Wyatt was still asleep, an alarm suddenly blared through the mountains.

His heart sank. ’Damn it, a forest fire alarm!’

He jolted up to wake Annabelle Linton, only to find that she was gone.