The feelings Audrey had once tried so hard to bury had come back—and this time, they were blooming.
She didn't fight it.
She smiled every time people teased her about how close she'd gotten with that senior, secretly hoping Zavier would understand that she liked the misunderstanding too.
And that's where Audrey ended her story—abruptly.
It earned a subtle crease in Vale's brow.
"And?" he asked, still waiting.
Audrey rolled her eyes. So, not only was he emotionally dense—he was clueless too.
But her reaction finally clued him in.
Connecting the dots from what had just happened, Vale began to realize why Audrey's expression had gone sour.
The tall, slightly unhinged guy let out a long sigh, then looked at Audrey with a complicated expression.
She raised an eyebrow, confused.
Then, even more confusingly, she felt him gently ruffle her hair—like an adult trying to comfort a sulking child.
Audrey furrowed her brow.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Comforting my little sister, who's all grown up and just got her heart bruised by love," Vale replied breezily.
Audrey scoffed.
"Still better than you, single since birth," she shot back, full of snark.
Too bad Vale wasn't the type to get offended. Especially not when it was Audrey dishing out the insults.
"At least no one can ever break my heart. Because I've never given anyone the chance to," Vale replied coolly.
He always had a comeback—one that hit twice as hard.
Maybe it's because he barely has emotions to begin with. That's probably why it's so easy for him to say stuff like this, Audrey thought bitterly.
She couldn't even get mad. He was right.
"So, what are you gonna do now?" Vale asked at last. He had no interest in prying deeper into her past—not out of courtesy, but because something in him had started to feel…off.
Bit by bit, Zavier's image was losing its shine in Vale's eyes.
Vale always claimed he never judged someone by appearances—or rumors. And he really meant it.
But this time felt different. He couldn't stand the feeling building in his chest. He didn't even know why.
Maybe it was because he treated Audrey like a little sister.
Maybe it was that twisted, irrational instinct: No one's allowed to hurt my sister… except me.
He nodded faintly, agreeing with himself—even if the thought was weird and a little forced.
Audrey gave a nonchalant shrug. "What else? Be a gracious host to him and his wife. He's just a guest at my inn right now."
Vale cut in. "A guest, sure. But also your senior. And your first love."
He clearly wasn't done poking at her frayed emotions—still savoring the chaos left in the wake of her earlier shock.
Some truths really were too annoying to accept. And even more painful to keep living with.
"And don't you dare try to steal Zavier from his wife while they're here," Vale added, tossing in one last jab—disguised as a joke.
What Audrey didn't know was that beneath the teasing, that line carried a message Vale meant for real.
Audrey gave him a smile that never reached her eyes. The fish knife in her hand was raised—poised and ready to be hurled at anyone reckless enough to jab at her heart again.
"Vale, are you tired of living?" she asked, the blade in her eyes gleaming like the one in her hand.
A bead of sweat the size of a corn kernel trickled down Vale's temple. He stepped back slowly, hands lifted in a gesture of surrender, retreating like someone who had just narrowly avoided a landmine.
Still, he couldn't resist leaving a parting comment. "Call me if you can't handle the happy couple's fireworks," he said over his shoulder, smirking. Typical Vale.
Zavier and his wife stayed for two days and two nights.
Two days that felt like years compressed into a blur of polite smiles and tightly coiled patience. Audrey wore her best mask, offering them tea, answering their questions, guiding them to the best local spots—while every step, every word, felt like wading through emotional concrete.
The moment the door clicked behind them as they left, Audrey collapsed—not physically, but somewhere deeper. Her heart felt splintered, her thoughts heavy and sore.
She closed the inn for three days. Just shut it down. No bookings, no guests, no noise. She spent most of the time in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling or curling into herself beneath the covers. She told herself it was just exhaustion—but both she and her heart knew better.
Vale stopped by again, of course. He ruffled her hair like he always did, a strange sort of comforting ritual that he refused to admit meant anything.
"You did your best," he said, almost tender for once. "Next time he shows up, it's okay. Do whatever you want. No judgment."
Audrey didn't respond, but somehow, Vale's voice lingered with her longer than she expected—like it had left a mark.
And maybe there was a spell in those words, because just a little over a month later, Zavier came back. Not for a visit this time.
To stay.
Audrey stood frozen on the doorstep of her own inn as Zavier held out a cake box, smiling like the sun itself had decided to beam through his teeth.
"Starting today, I'm moving in," he said cheerfully. "Here—black forest. A little housewarming gift."
The world tilted.
Audrey's fingers curled tightly around the edge of the cake box as her body locked in place. She barely registered the sweetness in his voice, the easy charm in his posture.
Further down the lane, Vale had just turned the corner—only to freeze like a statue when he saw the scene unfolding.
Zavier.
Audrey.
That damned bright smile.
And the unmistakable flicker of chaos in Audrey's eyes.
Her expression said everything.
Every moment Vale had tried to brush off as trivial a month ago—every teasing word, every lighthearted joke—came roaring back to him with punishing clarity.
She was struggling. Again.
And this time, Zavier wasn't just passing through.
He was here. In Wellington. Indefinitely.
Vale swallowed a bitterness he couldn't name. Something acrid settled in his chest. And as Audrey's eyes briefly met his across the distance, he understood without a word being spoken:
She remembered what he'd said. And now, they were both about to pay for it.