TPCF 83

CHAPTER 83………………………

“No. It’s fine.”

His hair, like Anita’s, was dripping wet. Who in the world could bring themselves to ask to be carried by someone who had just jumped into the water to save them?

After walking for a while, Anita realized she was still holding Rutger’s hand and quickly let go. When she practically yanked her hand away, Rutger, startled, turned to look at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s just…”

Until now, she had been too shaken to notice, and even clung to him for comfort. But now that she remembered he already had a girlfriend, she couldn’t allow herself to keep holding his hand. Still, this wasn’t the kind of situation where she could bluntly say, “I feel awkward holding the hand of someone who already has a girlfriend.”

So Anita trailed off without giving him a proper answer.

“Anyway. How did you even get here?”

“Mr. Rodel doesn’t own a car, does he?”

“Huh?”

“When I saw you riding in that car, I thought it was strange.”

“What does that matter?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me you followed us from back then?”

Anita had tossed the question out casually, but Rutger turned his head aside as though it was hard to answer. Unable to make sense of his reaction, Anita pressed him again.

“How?”

“…I happened to be driving nearby…”

Anita didn’t understand why he seemed embarrassed about saving her life, but decided not to pry further.

“Oh.”

As she looked down at the ground while walking, Anita flinched. A long black streak was stretched out like a trail. Walking along the path left behind by the broken-down car she had been riding in felt eerie.

“Are you okay? Why are you—”

Rutger, noticing where her gaze was fixed, sighed.

“Don’t look. Just face forward and keep walking.”

“What do you mean, what did I even see?”

She tried to deny it, but her voice lacked confidence, making her words unconvincing.

By the lakeside, a car—presumably Rutger’s—was parked. The way it was shoved roughly into the bushes made it clear how desperately he had rushed to follow them.

“Why just leave it there?”

He walked right past the car without a glance. Anita looked back and forth between him and the vehicle in confusion.

“I can come back for it later.”

So the two of them left the car behind and kept walking. Anita walked a step behind him, afraid that if she walked alongside him, she might fall into the strange delusion that they were a couple.

And Anita’s caution turned out to be wise. After escorting her home, Rutger didn’t show up again for several days.

Later, Anita heard from Finian that Rutger had broken up with Allison Schneider. But soon after, news followed that he was already seeing someone else.

Even after that, Rutger continued dating different girlfriends. Though Anita saw more than once that the woman at his side had changed, she never said a word. Every time they crossed paths, Rutger acted calm, as though nothing had happened, and she too behaved as if she had forgotten the past.

Their distant, lukewarm friendship carried on that way until now. And Anita learned to be moderately content with the relationship as it was.

It felt like she had only just entered the University of Aberdeen, but now the end of the semester was already drawing near.

“Anita, are you planning to return home during the break?”

“I’m not sure.”

Ordinarily, she would have taken the train back home, but this time she truly had no desire to.

“If you don’t have to, how about coming to my villa instead?”

“Villa?”

“Yes. I’m inviting a few friends over to throw a party. After living through such a terribly boring semester, don’t you think we deserve some fun?”

Normally, Anita would have immediately refused such a suggestion. She disliked noisy, crowded places. But the word “party” didn’t even register in her ears. Instead, the thought that she could leave the house where Nathan was waiting and spend time somewhere else filled her with a spark of hope.

“Of course. I’ll definitely come.”

Lilliana, who had expected Anita to decline, was startled at how easily she agreed.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

“All right then. Oh, by the way, Rutger said he’s too busy and doesn’t want to come.”

“…Is that so?”

‘Should I ask him to go with me?’

The thought popped into her head so boldly that Anita let out a faint, self-deprecating laugh. She couldn’t even imagine asking Rutger to join her at Lilliana’s villa. Even if they had grown closer recently because of the Charles Bennett stalker incident, it was only temporary.

Sooner or later, Rutger Veilan would push her away again.

And Anita didn’t want to be the one to hasten that moment.

Perhaps this distance was exactly the right distance.

“He must be busy then.”

Anita replied lightly, and Lilliana shrugged, as if to say she didn’t want to bring up Rutger any further.