âIâm aware, and thatâs exactly why Iâm telling you this,â Nicole said, her posture firm.
She knew some matters demanded confrontation for clarity.
She addressed him with a note of solemnity, âRoscoe.
â
Roscoe felt a twinge of worry at her serious tone.
âThereâs no hurry,â he replied quickly.
Nicole pressed on, tâs not about haste.
You should know Iâm not planning to get married.
â
A shadow of sadness passed through Roscoeâs voice.
âUnderstood.
â
Nicole continued firmly, âSo please, donât linger around for me.
Find someone who can give you joy.
Thatâs the only way Iâd find ease.
Understand?â
Distress etched on Roscoeâs features.
âNicole, Iâm not going to find anyone else.
I mean it.
Letâs just live like this for the rest of our lives.
â
Nicoleâs concern was masked by frustration.
âSo youâd prefer I canât find ease?â
âI wonât force you, and you canât force me,â Roscoe stated flatly.
Nicole sighed, weighed down by the moment.
âRoscoe, youâre dear to me, like family.
I wish for your happiness.
â
Looking her in the eye, Roscoeâs voice was even.
âYouâre not just family to me.
And Iâll respect your choices.
â
Nicoleâs words felt futile.
Roscoe was set in his ways, and no argument swayed him.
âLetâs just drop it,â Nicole conceded, feeling defeated.
With Jarrodâs situation still up in the air, it was too soon for such talks.
Later, as Roscoe stopped the car at Nicoleâs place, he called out as she exited, âNicole, hold on.
â
Turning back, Nicole faced him.
âYour heartâs moved past Jarrod, hasnât it?â Roscoe inquired.
At the topic of the feelings for Jarrod, Nicole felt a surge in her stomach.
It seemed even her body was embarrassed by her past affection for him.
And it made her feel sick!
Roscoe noticed Nicoleâs pallid expression and tightened his hold on the steering wheel slightly, saying, âForget it.
Itâs not important anymore.
â
Roscoe assumed whether Nicole still had feelings for Jarrod was not that important.
After all, true love involved acceptance and tolerance.
Would he give up his unrequited love for Nicole just because she did not return his feelings? Not gonna happen.
Thus, he was not overly concerned about this question.
Roscoe cleared his throat and suggested, âJust get inside.
Itâs windy out here.
â
After making this suggestion, Roscoe started the engine, and amidst its whirring, he suddenly heard Nicole say.
âI donât love him anymore.
â
Aside from the engineâs hum, the surroundings were silent.
The night breeze softly brushed Nicoleâs face, casting soft, flickering lights upon her, which made her eyes appear particularly captivating.
Despite the turmoil in her heart, her outward beauty showed she was still quite young and lovely.
Roscoeâs lips lifted upward slightly as he said, âI hope everything goes well with Jarrodâs trial.
â
After a few seconds, Nicole said, âRoscoe, I will never love again in my life.
â