Chapter 8

Outside, Liam and his group stood by the road, waiting for a car.

"Liam, Audrey was too much today," Chloe said. "In front of all those people..."

"Shut up," Liam pushed her away irritably. "Isn't this because you insisted on coming?"

"I was just worried about you!" Chloe whined. "And was I wrong? She's always been like this, trying to control everything, even you playing games with your friends..."

Liam suddenly erupted, "What do you know! If it weren't for you—"

"Liam," Julian stood by the restaurant entrance at some point, a lit cigarette between his fingers.

"Seven years, and you still don't understand why she left?"

Liam turned to Julian.

"What's it to you?" He sneered, "Don't think I don't know, in college you—"

"Yes, I liked her." Julian calmly cut him off. "But I never crossed any lines." He exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze sweeping over Chloe's arm linked with Liam's. "Unlike some people, who clearly have a girlfriend, but are still all over their 'best friend'."

Chloe's face changed. "We were just—"

"Just what?" Julian chuckled.

"Good friends?" He looked at Liam. "Then how come she has one meal with me, and you freak out?"

Liam's face was ashen.

"She won't come back," Julian stubbed out his cigarette. "This time is different."

Liam suddenly laughed.

"What are you putting on an act for?" He pointed at me inside the restaurant. "We've been together for seven years. Don't I know her temper? This is just a bigger tantrum than usual..."

His voice gradually faded, as if trying to convince himself, "Once she calms down..."

Julian shook his head, his eyes almost pitying. "You simply don't deserve her seven years of love."

A taxi arrived. Julian turned to leave, but Liam suddenly called out to him.

"Aren't you leaving to pursue your PhD soon?" His tone was maliciously certain. "She won't go with you."

Julian paused, then smiled without looking back. "We'll see."

An inexplicable panic surged through Liam. He suddenly wanted to go back into the restaurant and apologize for his words, but Chloe held him back.

"If you go now, Audrey will just yell at you again. Girls are all the same, just ignore her for a few days, she'll realize how good you are, and she'll come crawling back to you. Come on, we were going to the internet cafe, weren't we?"

Liam took a deep breath, casting one last look at my retreating figure. "Okay."