Shannon Quinn widened her eyes and hurriedly explained, "I’m looking for the bathroom!"
"Bathroom? Do you want to take you?"
"No need, it’s not urgent right now. I’m just worried that I won’t be able to find it later, so I’m checking the way now. Please continue, about your first love."
At the ntion of "first love," Erin Bishop’s eyes dimd as she picked up a bamboo skewer and took a bite of at, before saying, "I t him when I was in high school. He was two grades ahead of . At school, he was the male idol that everyone knew about, the kind of school heartthrob, you know?"
Shannon Quinn nodded eagerly like a pecking chick, and Erin Bishop continued, "He ca from a good family, was good-looking, but was extrely aloof. Many girls liked him, but none managed to get close to him."
"When I first got involved with him, it was actually on a bet with my classmates. If I managed to win him over, I’d win the bet. I was just taking it as a ga, not expecting to play myself into it."
"You have no idea how hard it was to pursue him. I stuck to him shalessly for a whole sester, wrote love letters, sent flowers, followed him, climbed his family’s wall to find him... I did everything others did, and also what they didn’t dare to do. I still rember it was on New Year’s Eve when he agreed to be with ."
Recalling these mories, an inadvertent smile appeared on Erin Bishop’s face, yet her eyes beca warmly teary, "He was particularly cold at first. You could say ten things to him, and he might not respond to even one. Later, after I bugged him enough, he would respond impatiently with a few words, none of them pleasant. Anyway, he kept tornting ; on New Year’s Eve, I gambled with him, saying, ’I’ve chased you for so long, and I’m tired. I know you’re annoyed with , so I’m planning to give up after today and never bother you again.’ Guess what he said?"
Shannon Quinn listened attentively, shaking her head.
"He said I ssed up his life without his permission, and now that I’ve ssed it up, I want to walk away, calling excessive. I sensed that he was sowhat reluctant to let go of , given he hadn’t avoided for over a year. I knew he had so feelings for , so I pushed him to confirm our relationship, saying if he didn’t, I wouldn’t look for him anymore. Then he said we could try it out, and if the trial period went well, I could beco his official girlfriend."
"Thinking about how foolish I was - why did I let him tornt ? I didn’t owe him anything."
Shannon Quinn listened and chuckled lightly, "But I think you willingly did that."
Erin Bishop also chuckled; so mories felt happy just by recalling them. She nodded and said, "I really was willing. You have no idea how happy I was when he confird our relationship. I found out he was the kind of person with a tough exterior but a soft heart."
"He wouldn’t say sweet things to make people happy, and loved to criticize , yet treated exceptionally well. That kind of well-being was through actions, not words. He’d berate but treasured inside. Forget about others; I envied myself."
"I envy you too; I deeply regret not dating during school."
"Have you watched youth school dramas? That’s basically how it was with us, like what’s portrayed in dramas. He was a top student, and though I wasn’t failing, I struggled with my studies, so I’d bring my textbooks to his house every day for tutoring. He attended school with , waited for after school, and all the girls envied ."
"I envy you too; having such a first love makes life worthwhile."
"Later, I don’t know for what reason, but he took a year off from school. I asked him and he didn’t tell , yet he would still co to school to find whenever he had ti. So people even said he took a break especially for , because if he didn’t, he’d graduate, and this way he could be with for another year. I don’t know if that was true, but indeed it was because of this we spent another year together."
"What happened afterward?"
Erin Bishop’s smile faded, and she ate a few mouthfuls of at in a venting manner, chewing as she said, "Then he left. He didn’t say anything, just left. Changed his number, cut off all contact. I asked around and finally heard he went abroad to study."
"Did you have a fight?"
"No, I still don’t understand why. Just days before he was fine, he even joined at school for als. Then he said he was busy, didn’t call much or reply to my ssages, and suddenly disappeared."
Shannon Quinn sighed regretfully; no wonder Erin Bishop always shouted that na whenever she got drunk. Such an unresolved first love, probably anyone would struggle to move on.
"I sotis feel he might’ve been playing with , seeing as foolish, teasing intentionally. Three, five years passed, and he still hadn’t co back for . I convinced myself he was a jerk and told myself to forget him. I started changing boyfriends often, making my love life appear rich. But no matter what, I could deceive others, not myself... I couldn’t forget him."
"Didn’t the guy just say he might co back soon? By then, you can ask him clearly what happened."
Erin Bishop looked despondent, seemingly worried, perhaps fearing that the unforgettable beautiful first love in her heart was just an easily forgotten past for soone else.
"Let’s drink, I’ll get the wine!" Erin Bishop said as she stood up, walking to the wine shelf to fetch bottles and glasses.
Shannon Quinn didn’t stop her, knowing she could take her ho once she got drunk.
"Miss Bishop?" Shannon Quinn looked up to see Ronan Rhodes approaching, subconsciously glancing around to find no sign of Landon Sutton.
Erin Bishop turned to look at Ronan Rhodes; his similar appearance made her a bit flustered, but his cheeky grin quickly broke any fantasy.
"I asked around; is your na Erin Bishop?" Ronan Rhodes asked with a smile, and Erin Bishop nodded, moving to sit beside Shannon Quinn and leaving the spot opposite for Ronan Rhodes.
After Ronan Rhodes thanked her and sat down, he handed over a business card, "My brother’s number is on it; you can contact him directly if you need anything."
Erin Bishop accepted the card, looked at the familiar characters, pursed her lips, and asked Ronan Rhodes, "Is he married?"
"Married? No, he’s still a bachelor!"
"Then... does he have a girlfriend?"
Ronan Rhodes smiled aningfully, as if about to say sothing secretive, glanced around, shielded his mouth with his hand, and leaned forward, whispering, "My brother is gay, how would he have a girlfriend?"
Shannon Quinn felt amused and exasperated hearing this, while Erin Bishop frowned, scolding Ronan Rhodes, "You’re talking nonsense!"
"It’s true! If he weren’t gay, how could he have not found a girlfriend till now? It’s abnormal!"
"You’re the one who’s abnormal!" Right then, Erin Bishop still defended him.
Ronan Rhodes chuckled lightly, just about to say sothing when his phone received a text from Landon Sutton: Tell the woman with black hair to step aside.
Ronan Rhodes initially didn’t quite understand the text, but upon looking up at the black-haired Shannon Quinn, recognizing her as that designer from the fashion show, he got a vague idea. So, he said to Shannon Quinn, "Miss, could you step out for a mont? I have a few words I’d like to say to Miss Bishop privately."
Reviews
All reviews (0)