« Chapter 20
« Seeing Sid, Zephyr's expression instantly darkened.
«= “Phoebe? So that’s it? You picked Stanford because of this guy? You-"
« Sid stepped slightly in front of me, cutting him off casually.
« “Actually, we both got early admission scholarships. Neither of us went through regular admissions.”
« Zephyr stood there, visibly struggling to process this.
= “You were completely intofor years. This doesn’t make any sense. When did you two even-"
« | responded with calm clarity: “I submitted my Stanford application the night | overheard you discussing what
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtkind of lingerie would look best on my body with your friends.”
« “Sid was the one who sat within the hospital when | was burning with fever. He was the one who publicly
defendedwhen those disgusting rumors spread. He was the one who saw me-really saw me-not just
what he could get from me.”
* As | spoke, | realized these words weren't just for Zephyr's benefit.
« They were my acknowledgment of what Sid had meant toduring the darkest chapter of my life.
» How his quiet support had givenspace to heal on my own terms.
* “There are a hundred more moments | could list... but honestly, | don’t think either of us needs to hear
them,”
« Zephyr's face crumbled, his lips trembling, unable to form words.
« | gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze-not out of lingering affection, but as a final goodbye to the childhood
friendship that once meant so much.
« “Zephyr, I'm genuinely happy now. You should try looking forward instead of backward. It's much easier to
see where you're going that way.”
* As we walked away, Sid leaned down and whispered with a playful smile: “He wasn’t even worthy
« Velvet Nights
* 45.3%
« Chapter 20
« of the title ‘ex-boyfriend,’ so why waste another minute?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
I laughed despite the emotional weight of the moment: “Oh, so ‘ex-boyfriend’ would have been an
acceptable title?”
Sid lifted our intertwined hands and kissed my knuckles gently.
“Not a chance. I'm planning to make sure you never have to use the prefix ‘ex’ with me,”
It wasn’t a grand declaration, but the simple promise in his voice made my heart flutter in a way that
Zephyr's tic gestures never had.
This wasn’t possession or obsession-it was partnership.
Behind us, Zephyr remained frozen, shoulders slumped, finally understanding what he had truly lost.
© (0)
word
word
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLHI0RAO&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1
mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1