Imperfect Desires

140 Babysitting

There was a time in Xiu's life when the question 'Why her and not me?' ruined Xiu's peace and left her in an emotional turmoil. Perhaps, that was the biggest question that pushed her so deep in depression that she forgot the way out.

But only now did she understood how Zhou Jinhai was never her happily ever after. If anything, he was merely that 'once upon a time' in her life. A hurtful and painful once upon a time.

It was painful when she wanted to hate him but loving him had turned worse for her. And when there was nothing left for her to do. She did nothing indeed. She couldn't bring herself to hate him but she definitely forgot how she loved him.

She recalled how Zhou Jinhai had said to her during their breakup, "You deserve better than me." Xiu scoffed at the reminder. If she deserved better than why did he not put some effort to become that better one for her? Why did nobody try to put some effort for her sake? Because since they didn't put effort for her sake, she could only assume how she wasn't the deserved one.

After years, Xiu could say that she met Zhou Jinhai at the wrong time. Their paths crossed again but only for her to realize how they were never meant to head in the same direction. Their paths could cross but they could never intertwine.

Outside the hall...

Dylan and Nora were still engaged in a conversation. Apparently, they had a lot to catch up on or pretty much nothing since both of them had only wasted the past years on useless relationships. They both buried their sincere feelings somewhere so deep that nobody could find them. It's been such a long time that perhaps, even they forgot what it felt to love someone wholeheartedly.

"Back then I really thought he'd stay after your confession," Dylan suddenly brought out the topic of Nora's confession. "I didn't think he'd leave for New York even after knowing how you felt about him."

Nora pressed her lips together before saying, "But I never confessed."

"What?" Dylan was surprised to hear her reply. "I gave you his flight details, I even dropped you off at the airport. What happened then? Did you get cold-feet again?"

"No, I just realized how far he was from me," said Nora helplessly. "There was a distance of five meters between us but suddenly, I felt like he was a million miles away."

Dylan rapped her head saying, "You idiot! How can you give up even without trying?"

Nora rubbed her head and said, "You wasted the best version of yourself on someone who didn't give a damn. And still, I'm not calling you an idiot. Why are you attacking me?" She took a pause before adding, "Besides, even if I had confessed and just suppose that he'd accepted my proposal, then what? I wasn't being myself around him. I was trying to act like the girl he liked. I didn't want to cheat him like that."

"And here I thought, you grew up from that phase," said Dylan in fake amusement. "I always told you to trust your gut."

"My gut? What if my gut is telling me to abort the mission?" Nora retorted. Dylan rolled his eyes at her and finally understood where Xiu must have learned her 'social skills' from. Because neither Xiu ever gave him the straight answer nor Nora was doing it.

Looking at Nora, Dylan realized how all of us had that one person in the life whom we are said to be completely over. And yet, that person lives somewhere within us without our own knowledge. We think about that person unconsciously in the silence of the night when the bright lights of the world no longer overshadow the darkness in our hearts. That person who we want to avoid at any cost and yet, we still wait for that person's one text.

When they both went back inside the hall, the ceremony was about to end. "I think you brought me to this wedding, where did you go to yourself?" Xiu looked at Nora accusingly and suspiciously.

"Nowhere, I was just catching up with an old friend," said Nora while looking at Dylan who nodded along in agreement. "Apparently, he is still single. And that came as a shock to me."

"Who would want to date him? His face is enough to make girls run for their lives," Xiu taunted Dylan blatantly without a care in the world.

"Wow, Ms. Bai! You really are something! You really can't miss a chance to insult me, can you?" Dylan asked looking at Xiu with obvious displeasure. Xiu shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "You are a stinky brat!"

"Stinky brat? Have you lost your mind?" Xiu glared at him and even yelled which was toned down by the orchestra playing in the hall now.

Dylan leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest saying, "Haven't you heard, you are what you eat. And since you love drinks, that's why you stink!"

Xiu gaped at him in disbelief and was about to tackle him when Darren held her hand and shook his head. Xiu took a deep breath and while Darren spoke in a warning tone, "Didi!" Xiu held him back and said, "I got this."

She shifted her attention to Dylan and said, "You're right. People are what they eat. And since you ate too many dumplings in your life, that's why you look like a dump who's living in a dumpster with a piece of baggage of emotional dump while crying over your dumped ass!!!"

Nora had to bit down her lips to stop herself from laughing. This was truly a 'R.O.F.L' moment for her. She looked at Darren and said, "There arguments are no joke eh?"

"Tell me about it," said Darren while rubbing his forehead.

Nora looked at the fuming Xiu and Dylan who had turned their backs towards each other while huffing like kids. "Aiyo, they look so adorable."

"Again, tell me about it," was Darren's reply with an obvious smile on his face.

"It must not be easy dealing with these two," Nora remarked as she could see how much of a handful Dylan and Xiu were together.

Darren sighed out, "It's worse than babysitting kids. They are always at each other's throats."Please go to