30.

Much to the young man’s surprise a cup of hot chocolate was placed in front of him. Looking up from his phone, he locked eyes with a pair of brown orbs.

“I didn’t order anything.” he said with furrowed brows.

The waitress bit her lip, a faint blush dusting her cheeks, “Well um I saw you looking a bit down and um hot chocolate always makes me feel better when I’m down so I thought it’d help!” She smiled shyly at him.

Baekhyun didn’t reply but just kept on looking at her.

The red-head blinked, okay so this wasn’t a good idea after all.

She extended her hand to grab the cup, “I’m sorry,” she said, looking all flustered and embarrassed, “I shouldn’t have bothered you. I’ll take it bac-”

He placed his hand over her own, “No, no it’s fine,” he smiled then, a proper grin that set her heart racing, “a cup of hot chocolate is exactly what I needed, thank you.”

Slowly she retracted her hand and nodded her head too taken aback by his smile to form coherent words. How can a simple smile make her feel this way? How? But it wasn’t just any smile, it was his smile.

“Okay then,” she returned his smile, flushing (yet again) under his gaze, “I’ll just head back to…” she pointed to the counter and bowed her head before hastily walking away.

Baekhyun chuckled, his eyes following the girl’s every move.

Cute, he thought as he took a sip of his drink.

“What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun glared at Kai, clearly displeased with this encounter.

“We need to talk.”

A scoff escaped the said man’s lips, “I doubt there’s anything you and I need to talk about.”

Kai was unfazed by his unfriendly demeanor, “There is.”

Baekhyun’s glare intensified as he kept on staring at the latter, “Anything related to you and Emma does not concern me.”

Kai sighed, “Forget about me, Emma is your friend isn’t she?”

The word friend hit him like a ton of bricks.

A friend that’s all he’ll ever be to her.

A friend.

Nothing more and nothing less.

“She cares about you.”

Does she?

“And you care about her.”

I do. More than I should. That’s what makes things all the more difficult.

“Don’t let me get in the away of your friendship.”

What if I want more? And I do. But that’s not possible, is it?

“As much as I hate to admit it you make her happy.”

And she made him happy. The times he spent with her were the happiest of his life. He missed her. He terribly did. He felt awful for leaving her. For walking away. You think he didn’t notice her scrawny state? The sadness that lurked behind her blue orbs? He did. And it killed him not being there for her. But as much as he wanted to be by her side he couldn’t. It was still too hard for him. Too painful. She saw him as a friend. He saw her as more. He wanted more. But he couldn’t have what he wanted. Her heart didn’t belong to him. It never did. (It never did.)

“And the only thing that matters to me is her happiness.”

Baekhyun was taken aback by the sincerity of his words. Since when did he care? Since when did he have a heart? But then again people can change, can’t they? Love does wondrous things after all.

“I know you hate me but don’t take out on Emma.”

He cares,

He does,

Was I wrong about him?

“She has done nothing wrong.”

No she hasn’t but…

“I can’t.”

Baekhyun ran a hand through his hair, “What you’re asking of me is too much.”

Kai stared at him for a moment, “You like her.”

Baekhyun shook his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips, “No, I love her.”

Strangely, his confession didn’t surprise Kai in the least. Maybe, deep down, he knew that Baekhyun’s feelings for Emma went past the stage of friendship. If not, he wouldn’t be as against his relationship with her, would he?

“But it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”

Does it?

“She ended up choosing you.”

Kai took a deep breath, “We’re not together, not at the moment.”

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at the said man, “What did you do?”

Is that why she’s been so sad lately? God damn it! I knew this was going to happen, I knew he’d break her heart sooner or later. I even warned her but she didn’t listen.

She never did.

“It’s not what you think.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “Really? Please enlighten me then.”

Kai closed his eyes, “It’s a long story.”

Baekhyun casually leaned against his car, “I have time.”

He raised an eyebrow awaiting the latter’s response.

“Emma should be the one to tell you not me.”

A moment of silence passed.

“You don’t deserve her.”

Kai couldn’t agree more, “No, I don’t.”

Baekhyun blinked his eyes, did he just admit that he doesn’t?

“I ed up.”

You can say that again.

He looked at the Baekhyun with a newfound sense of burning determination, “But I’m going to do whatever it takes to make things right.”

To have her back.

“I love her.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. Kai wasn’t lying. He meant every word. Then again why would he go to the length of talking to him if he didn’t care about her in the least?

He did,

He cared,

He truly did.

“I’ve never felt this way for anyone before.”

Baekhyun sighed, “Still, you hurt her.”

Time and time again.

Kai nodded his head, “I know.”

And I hate myself for that,

For causing her pain,

For making her cry.

“Not a day goes by when I don’t regret what I did.”

I was too rash,

Too selfish,

Too stupid.

“And I know I should let her go but I can’t.”

I can’t.

“Call me selfish, call me whatever you want I just can’t.”

Baekhyun remained quiet as he absorbed the