He Saved Romance for Her, I Rejected His Late Regret

Chapter 2

That night, I dragged my suitcase to a random motel and checked in.

It wasn't until two in the morning that Luke sent me a location pin for a five-star hotel.

"I booked a room for you. Come back tomorrow morning at ten. Sasha wants to apologize to you properly."

Staring at this delayed crumb of charity, I didn't reply.

When I returned to the apartment the next morning, Sasha was wearing my slippers and sitting in my usual spot.

With the Pisces necklace around her neck, she was flipping through the scrapbook of Luke and me.

"Jane, you two used to be so sweet. I can't believe Luke actually took so many photos with you."

I reached out and took the scrapbook back.

"This is private."

Sasha flinched, her fingers tearing a small rip in the page.

Luke came out of the kitchen carrying a glass of water, his face instantly darkening.

"It's just a photo album. Why did you have to snatch it?"

"She went through it without my permission."

"Didn't you go through my coat last night?"

He took the album from my hands and placed it back in front of Sasha.

"It's just a tear. If you want to look at it, go ahead."

Sasha bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears.

"I didn't mean to. Luke told me to make myself at home, so I thought you wouldn't mind."

I looked at Luke.

Three years ago, when he gave me the spare key, he said this door would only ever open for me.

Now, Sasha not only had a key, but her fingerprint was even registered in the smart lock.

"Delete her fingerprint."

Luke set his glass down.

"She had a break-in at her old place, so she gets terrified living alone. Keeping her fingerprint registered makes it easier for her to come over. What's the issue?"

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"When I first came here, I was terrified of the unfamiliar environment too. You said adults should learn to be independent and that I should just figure it out on my own."

Luke rubbed his temples.

"You and she are different. You just lack security, but she actually has a medical condition."

With a single sentence, he dismissed all my anxieties as mere tantrums.

At noon, he took us to meet his friends.

Someone noticed the necklace around Sasha's neck and teased him, "Did you draw that design yourself, Luke? You asked all of us just to find the right engraver. Keep it safe, Sasha. He wasn't even this thoughtful when he was pursuing Jane back then."

Sasha blushed and hid behind Luke.

"That's not true... He only put in the extra effort to encourage me to focus on my recovery. If you keep talking, Jane might get the wrong idea."

I squeezed my glass, my knuckles turning white.

So it wasn't just a casual purchase. He had spent a whole month drawing the design, selecting the materials, and finding a master craftsman to make it.

Sensing the awkward tension, someone quickly asked me, "Jane, what did Luke get you for your third anniversary?"

Luke answered for me, "She already has everything. She doesn't care about these formalities."

I looked at him.

"How do you know I don't care?"

His expression chilled.

"We can talk about this when we get home. Do you really have to throw a fit in front of my friends?"

The atmosphere froze instantly. Sasha immediately took off the necklace.

"If Jane wants it, she can have it. The star chart isn't important anyway."

She held the necklace out to me, the pendant swaying in the air.

"Only Luke's intention matters."

The others exchanged awkward glances, none of them daring to break the silence.

Luke frowned, grabbing her hand and pressing the necklace back into her palm.

"What's yours is yours. No one can take it from you."

Then, he turned to me.

"Jane, apologize to Sasha."

I heard his friends whispering to me in hushed voices.

"It's just a necklace, don't make a scene."

"Sasha is still sick, just let it go for once."

I set my glass down.

"I'm sorry."

Luke's brow relaxed, as if he was finally satisfied.

I didn't want to stay a second longer. Without giving him another glance, I reached for my bag.

As my eyes swept across the table, I caught a glimpse of his phone, which hadn't locked yet.

In his pinned chats, his contact name for Sasha was clearly displayed as one word: Baby.