This Time, I Won't Be His Dead Weight - Chapter 8

him back this some things morrow." p before ctically like et him len to the Neither of us oe share Chapter 8 The shopping bag Luke was carrying c dozen apple pies. When I was younger, my favorite treat apple pie from the bakery at the end o! used to buy them for me every few daj wondered how I never got tired of the But after we started high school, he ne them for me again. We greeted each other calmly. His par anything either. They quickly found ar leave us alone. "Zoe..." Luke stood in the middle of the room. passed since I last saw him.

He had gre taller, yet he looked strangely unstead "You have a boyfriend?" he asked. I gave a simple nod. "Yeah." He suddenly smiled, his eyes turning 1 "That's good," he muttered. He swallowed hard before lowering his voice to a raspy whisper. "Zoe, that night... Anna drugged my drink. Over the years that followed, she and I did have acomplicated relationship. But I swear, we really never slept together again." My mind went blank for a moment. It took a while for the full weight of his words to sink in. He knew. He knew everything from the future, ten years down the line.

Luke lowered his head, his hands clenched tightly into fists as he breathed heavily. He told me everything. He confessed that what he had said at the engagement party had been part of a sick game. He revealed the truth behind Grandma's death and told me everything Anna had done to hurt me. "Later on, she was arrested and sentenced to life in prison," he said quietly. "I hired the best lawyer I could find and made sure she received the harshest sentence possible." He added, "This time around, things ended the same way. After she drugged my drink, the college expelled her soon afterward.

I never saw her again." I stood there, listening quietly. I didn't feel the slightest stir of emotion. Instead, I simply asked, "So, why are you telling me all this?" Luke's voice caught in his throat. "I just wanted you to know that the person who hurt you got what she deserved. And... 1 wanted to apologize to you." "T'm sorry," he whispered, his voice trembling violently. He raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot. "T can't get you out of my mind.

For the past four years, there hasn't been a single moment when I haven't thought about you." He paused, a flicker of hope lingering in his eyes. "This time around, I didn't do anything to hurt you. I've cut all ties with Anna. Can we... start over?" he pleaded. _Before I could answer, he let out a self-deprecating smile. "I guess that was just wishful thinking." "Luke," I said calmly. "You're right. Whatever punishment you and Anna received has nothing to do with me. All I know is that, in that other world, Grandma and I died." I gave him a faint smile.