I smiled, but tears filled my eyes when knowing that they were in Isaac's room that night.

What was more, Isaac, who had a mild case of germophobia and never let me eat in his dorm, let Molly do it.

I always believed love was about mutual compromise and understanding, where someone eventually had to yield. So, I never minded it.

But then, he broke his principles and rules easily for someone else, which he introduced as a childhood friend only.

Well, maybe I was the one who underestimated their relationship. I never thought that it turned out to be more important than ours.

While I was about to throw my phone, it rang.

A message from Isaac, asking if I had made it to the dorm safely. But I did not reply.

Seeing no response, he messaged again.

[Isaac: Are you asleep?]

After a while, another message came through.

[Isaac: Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow. Good night.]

I still did not have the intention to reply to it, instead I scrolled through our past messages.

It turned out that they were filled with my long, rambling updates, met with his occasional short replies of “OK” or “Got it.”

It seemed that I loved him recklessly, while Isaac always responded indifferently.

Suddenly, Lucy said in my mind, “Hey, do not think too much about it. If you want to know, ask him tomorrow. I miss Bernard too.”

I sighed and just threw my phone to sleep.

***

Nikki suddenly woke me up in the morning and said, “Hey, he is waiting for you downstairs. How long will you make him wait?”

I opened my eyes slowly, because I did not intend to meet him. But I knew how stubborn he was.

If I was not coming, he would be waiting there maybe until tomorrow, so that the people would start gossiping about our relationship.

In the end, I woke up and tidied myself.

Suddenly, my mind went insane and asked Nikki an absurd question, “Nikki, do you have a spell or a potion that can keep others away?”

Nikki just laughed slightly and answered, “Do not be silly, Eloise.”

“Right, that’s impossible,” I let out a sigh before saying.

Then, I went out to meet him downstairs.

Isaac smiled when seeing me and said, “I called you many times, but you did not answer.”

“Sorry, my battery ran out.”

Isaac seemed to understand my reason and did not prolong the problem. He just asked while holding my hand, “I see. Oh, I have bought your favorite meal. How about having breakfast near the lake? It is the weekend after all.”

I nodded in silence, but I could feel that my wolf was so happy about it. Lucy even sent Bernard a mind-link, saying that she missed him so much.

Isaac smiled and could not help telling me, “They’re so noisy. It turns out that it is not only me who misses you.”

In the past, I would be so happy when hearing that. But I did not know why that day it felt so annoying.

When we had breakfast together, Isaac talked more while I just listened.

He seemed to notice my indifference, so he asked me, “Why are you so quiet?”

“Can’t you think of the reason?”

Isaac acted as if he was thinking about it, then his fingers touched my face and pinched my chin when asking, “Is it because I have not given you a morning kiss?”

I actually wanted to refuse, but Lucy seemed so tempted by it, so I just followed his rhythm without returning it.

But before we deepened our kiss, his phone rang. It was a call from Molly.

I snapped back to reality, while my wolf grumbled in my mind.

However, Isaac suddenly said in panic, “Are you okay?

“That's worse? Okay, I’ll buy some medicine for you.”

I just looked at him in silence, but then Isaac apologized, “Eloise, it’s Molly. Her gastritis recur.”

I had guessed from the start that Isaac would definitely not be able to resist helping her right away. What was more, Molly's dependence on him seemed so deep that Isaac was the only one on her mind at that moment.

Lucy was angry when she heard that and asked Bernard to stay, but I said the opposite of what my wolf wanted.

"That's fine, she needs you more."

“Thanks.”

Isaac smiled and kissed my cheek before going.

While I saw him disappear, I decided to stay on the lake until evening.

Once I came back to the dorm, Nikki startled me.

“Eloise, I thought you’re not coming back and having a fight with Molly.”

I was so confused and asked her the reason. Then she showed me Molly’s X post.

It was a photo with a slight shadow of Isaac that was taken on her dorm. The caption read, “This gastritis tortured me so bad, but you come on time, thank you always.”

“How could you let your boyfriend take care of others, Eloise?” Nikki asked in confusion.

I sighed and said sadly, “You know the reason.”

Nikki kept swearing when she knew it, making our dorm so noisy that night. But somehow, I felt so proud to have a friend like her, at least it lightened my burden a little.

***

After finishing our class, I went to the café near Academy with Nikki and some friends.

But when I opened the café door and wanted to choose the seat with my friend, I overheard some playful banter.

“You two seem too intimate these days. Isn't your girlfriend getting jealous, Isaac?”

Molly sat close to Isaac, looking troubled when hearing that. She directly responded, “Hey, we’ve all been friends for years. You all know how Isaac and I are.”

“Yeah and back when Isaac was after you, if you’d liked him, you would’ve said yes.”

“Right, I still remember when Isaac went to Grimbiens just to meet you, Molly.”

My head buzzed.

Isaac had pursued Molly before?

What was more, he went to the Grimbiens for her?

Was their relationship that I had always thought was just friends actually a romantic relationship?

So, that was the reason why no one told me about Molly and Isaac then.

Isaac’s voice sounded heavy when responded to the teasing, “That’s all in the past.”

“Guys, do not tease him,” Molly also responded to defend him.

I had believed he was naturally reserved and principled, but it turned out I never truly understood him.

No wonder I always felt like I was constantly guessing his thoughts, carefully trying to please him.

It dawned on me that I was just a replacement for his unrealized love.

Maybe I just happened to be his mate, so Isaac could play with my feelings that easily.

But as someone who had given everything, I could no longer hold back the anger in my heart anymore and stormed toward them with an angry face.

“Is that true?”

Everyone was speechless to see me.

It was Molly who said first and acted as if she felt guilty, “Eloise, we did not mean that. You guys, see what you are doing now.”

Isaac was also shocked and wanted to explain anything, but I turned and walked away.

He chased me and grabbed my hand before saying, “You know, we are just friends. I explained everything to you yesterday.”

I broke free from his grip and yelled angrily, “Alright, I understand.

“Just kept looking after her like that when you rescued her from the fire yesterday and also left me because she could not take care of herself when she was sick.

“After all, I am nothing more important than her. You never let me eat candies in your room, but you let her.

“You’re still upset about the fire? But I’ve explained and apologized. For the candy, you misunderstood it, she did not eat it in my room. Also yesterday, I asked you about it.

“If there’s something else bothering you, we should talk about it calmly.”

“Then explain about you pursuing her,” I asked in a calm tone in the end.

Isaac’s face darkened slightly when hearing my question. But then he answered, "Back then, I did not understand my own feelings. But I only see Molly as a sister. Taking care of her is just me keeping a promise to her mom. Do not let this upset you.”

Molly’s face turned pale when she heard that.

I noticed her face, so I whispered to him, “But she does not seem to look at you the same way.”

Then I grabbed a glass of orange juice from the table and threw it in his face.

The onlookers gasped in surprise.