Another week had passed, and as Elise sipped on her orange juice, she couldn't help but think it was a shame she hadn't come down with something serious.
Zayne was generally easygoing, but he always managed to do things that left people baffled.
He often asked questions at the worst possible times—unintentionally, of course, but still making everyone around him uncomfortable.
Take this KTV gathering, for example—just another one of his peculiar ideas.
The people she disliked weren't there, but the awkward ones had gathered in full force.
Sometimes, the more you try to avoid something, the more it gravitates right toward you.
"I can't believe how many real nights we spent together, only to be hurt so deeply after the passion faded." Zayne clung to the mic as if glued to it, belting out one gut-wrenching song after another.
Elise couldn't help but think, wasn't this from that popular song called "A Kiss That Felt So True"?
Zayne was really hitting all the sore spots, singing such a heartbreaking song for no reason…
She'd driven to work today, so of course, she'd also driven to this gathering. She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, sipping on her orange juice instead.
She kept herself busy talking to Evelyn, focusing her attention on Evelyn's right side instead of to the left, where, past Jakob, sat Braden.
"Kiss, kiss, kiss… That kiss felt too real," Zayne sang passionately, completely lost in his own world.
Jakob found himself awkwardly wedged between Braden and Elise, genuinely feeling the discomfort.
Braden seemed to shut himself off from the world, quietly sipping his drink, scrolling through his phone, with no intention of engaging anyone in conversation.
He honestly didn't know what he was doing here—Zayne had insisted, saying he really wanted Braden to come, so here he was, forcing himself to attend.
Everyone else here, apart from Elise, were people from Zaynetang; he wasn't exactly close with them. And the one person he knew best, well, she was the one he couldn't approach.
He quietly counted the empty beer cans he'd gone through, all the while thinking about her, just sitting nearby.
Was it just his imagination? Perhaps. Was it his imagination, or had she lost a bit of weight?
He allowed himself the faintest hope—that maybe she still had feelings for him, that maybe she, too, wasn't eating or sleeping well…
"You walked into my life, then turned and left. Love can't be carried by one person alone, so I accept your decision," Zayne selected yet another heartbreaking ballad.
Evelyn whispered into Elise's ear, "It's that song called 'After All, Love Ran Deep…'"
Elise nodded, taking another sip of her orange juice.
"I'll keep you quietly in my heart," Zayne finished, his voice softening as a tear glistened at the corner of his eye.
"Reminds me of my younger days, when I'd dive headfirst into love without a second thought!" Zayne said contentedly, munching on chips and clutching the microphone as he flipped through the songbook, looking for more ballads.
Braden let the words sink in, suddenly feeling a twinge of sadness.
He looked at his deactivated Facebook account. The profile picture was still one of him and Elise. He couldn't bear to change it, so he'd just shut the account down.
Even if there was no romance, for twenty-nine years, ever since she was born, they'd been together almost constantly, save for the times they were dating other people. How could he let go of that…
He had loved her, had been with her—how could he just go back to being her friend…
Evelyn had been keeping an eye on Braden, noticing he didn't look well, so she leaned over to Elise, whispering again.
Evelyn whispered to her, "Should we maybe ask Zayne to stop singing? Haven't you noticed Braden's been drinking nonstop? Aren't you worried?"
Under the pretense of pouring more orange juice, Elise stole a glance at Braden from the corner of her eye.
He really was as Evelyn described. Since he'd entered the room, he hadn't let go of his drink.
"It's my own fault for being such a mess, getting hurt again and again. I kept telling myself, that's just how love is—take risks, and you're finished," Zayne sang, diving into another emotional ballad.
"When I'm gone, will you be sad? Are you bold enough to let me go?" Zayne was singing with such enthusiasm, it was as if he was hosting a never-ending concert.
Braden finally couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes, pressing his palms over his lids, intending to fall asleep right there to drown out Zayne's singing. He just wanted to sleep through this endless concert.
If he had to listen any longer, he'd lose it for real.
After five long hours, Zayne was sound asleep, completely exhausted, and the time in the private room had finally come to an end. Jakob, keeping to his agreement with Zayne, drove him home while Evelyn drove herself back.
Watching as everyone left, Elise hesitated, noticing that Braden still hadn't woken up. She wondered if she should be the one to take him home.
She remembered he'd taken the subway to work today, but it was already past 1 a.m., so taking a cab home seemed like his only option.
After a bit of thought, she decided to drive him home herself. She carefully helped his unconscious, drunken self into the passenger seat, buckled him in, and then walked around to the driver's side.
With no one else around, she sat beside him and took a moment to study his face. They'd been apart for a week, and it seemed like he hadn't been doing too well…
Even in his sleep, his brows were furrowed, his features drawn tight—so different from before, when he'd sleep next to her, and she'd occasionally catch a glimpse of him smiling in his sleep.
She gently stroked his face, hoping to coax a smile back to it, but as her fingers touched his skin, he turned away, curling up toward the car window.
Refocusing on the task at hand, she fastened her seatbelt and checked the GPS, setting off to get him home safely.
After an hour's drive, they finally arrived at his doorstep. She went around to the passenger side, hoisting his right arm over her shoulder, and carefully helped him inside.
She rummaged through his pockets for his keys, unlocked the door, took off his shoes, and guided him to his bedroom.
She made him a cup of honey water and placed it on his nightstand, then took a damp cloth, gently wiping his face before rinsing it out in the bathroom and hanging it on the towel rack.
Returning to his bedside, she tucked his arms and legs under the blanket, carefully covering him up. After watching him for a few moments, she prepared to leave.
Just then, Braden seemed to sense her impending departure. His bleary eyes opened, and he reached out, grabbing her wrist.
"Don't go… don't leave me…" His voice was rough and hoarse, as if he were clutching onto a lifeline, unwilling to let go.
Elise froze, her steps halted. She looked down at her hand, tightly held in his grasp, and she hesitated.
In that brief moment of hesitation, he let go of her hand, but then he got out of bed and, catching her completely off guard, pulled her into an embrace from behind.
"Even if it's just a dream… please, don't go… don't leave me alone…" He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder, his plea painfully humble.
