Love That Wasn't Meant to Last

I stayed the night in a hotel near the hospital. As soon as I turned off airplane

mode, my phone flooded with messages from Sylvia.

"Why did you take the day off?"

"Where are you? Why isn't your phone reachable?"

"Hudson, are you okay?"

"Please call me back-I'm really worried."

After reading through all her messages, I decided to call her back with a video call.

The second she answered and saw me, relief washed over her face. "Thank goodness, Hudson! You finally called me. Do you know how long I've been waiting? Where did you go? Why didn't you answer? Am I still your girlfriend or not?"

I just gave her a quiet smile, letting her get it all out. After a moment's pause, I decided to keep things simple.

"Something came up suddenly, so I had to come back to Adenville. I was in such a rush that I forgot to call you. I'm sorry for making you worry."

She looked skeptical but nodded. "Alright, fine. I'll let it slide this time. So, when are you coming back?"

I couldn't help but feel a little touched. That was just who she was. She didn't press me for details, didn't question my choices-she just waited patiently until I was back.

A playful thought crossed my mind, and I asked, "Aren't you worried I'll get into trouble here in Adenville?"

"I trust you. You wouldn't do anything you shouldn't. But if you ever did cross a line, just promise not to tell anyone I'm your girlfriend! I don't want to be embarrassed like that," she laughed.

Hearing this, a pang of doubt hit me. Taking care of Selena-was that something she would see as "crossing a line"?

Noticing my silence, Sylvia's expression grew concerned. "Is everything okay? You seem distracted."

Staring at her on the screen, I couldn't shake the urge to get her opinion. "If someone who was once very important to you was going through a tough time and needed you to care for them, but other people might misunderstand your intentions... would you still go?"noveldrama

She looked at me for a long moment, her expression shifting. She seemed to weigh the question heavily before answering, "That... that would depend."

She paused, and I almost thought she would change the subject instead of responding. But then she said softly, "If they truly mattered to me, then I'd help. Misunderstandings can be fixed later, but some people... you only help if they're really worth it.

"I wouldn't want to waste my time on someone who didn't appreciate it or risk putting myself out there for the wrong reasons."

There was a hint of sadness in her voice, as if she were recalling something painful from her past-something I hadn't known about.

"I think... I think I understand now," I said.

Her expression was tight, like she was trying to shake off an unpleasant memory. She forced a small smile. "Alright then. Just... take care of yourself, okay? I'll be here when you get back." And with that, she ended the call.

Staring at the phone, guilt started creeping in again. I couldn't help but wonder how Sylvia would feel if she knew the reason I had rushed from Carzonia to Adenville was to see Selena. How would she feel about it?