My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 561 Decided on Shawn

Their conversation was confusing to me, but I suddenly recalled what May said about Nicholas having a close friend

who was assassinated a long time ago. Now that I thought about what the owner of the flower shop said last night, I

couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about the same person.

"You're being stubborn again, Aubrey."

"Nick, I don't mind going back to Bryxton, but he needs to bring me home himself. Or else, I won't… Anyway, you

don't have to persuade me anymore."

Feeling somewhat rude for eavesdropping, I started to leave when Nicholas suddenly turned around.

He was taken aback when he saw me. "Ree? What are you doing here?"

"I came to buy a rose," I explained.

At this, the owner of the flower shop said to Nicholas, "Nick, this is the lady who wants a flower. Please give her the

one in the store."

Nicholas nodded and replied, "Alright."

He strode into the store and grabbed a rose which he then passed to me. However, he rejected the money that I

wanted to pay him.

Instead of arguing with him over a flower that sold for three, I politely gave my gratitude. "Thank you. I will take my

leave now."

"Let me walk you out!" Nicholas called out to me before I left and when I heard that, I quickly rejected him. "There

is no need—"

"Ree, I will only walk you out."

I didn't say anything to that.

We left the flower shop in no time. It was only after the owner was out of earshot that Nicholas told me something.

"Her fiancé was my close friend from my younger days, but my friend… He passed away a long time ago."

Indeed, he did pass away many years back.

Olivia even said that Nicholas knew who the culprit was.

However, for him to never take his revenge could only mean two things—either the enemy was someone who had

an important relationship with Nicholas, or the enemy was someone too strong.

Then again, there were only a handful of people whom I knew were more powerful than Nicholas.

I was not really interested in this, so I commented, "She and I had a brief chat when I came to buy a rose last night.

I was puzzled because she told me about herself even though we are strangers."

"She lives a lonely life."

"Yeah, she told me that too."

Nichola hummed and explained, "On top of being blind, she lives by herself in Ashere. She is all alone. She can only

talk about these things with her customers because she is afraid that she will start forgetting as time goes by. She is

a pitiful person."

"Mhm… I agree," I answered.

"Is the flower for Shawn?"

Nicholas was smart enough to make the right guess on the first try.

"You can say that."

He suddenly fell silent at my words. After he followed me for another ten meters, he casually mentioned, "Back

then, if you hadn't… I would have been the owner of this flower."

His gaze was glued to the rose.

Hearing that, I tightened my grip on the flower and stated, "There are no 'ifs'. But 'if' we were still together, I would

never do something so romantic. You and I have never been at ease with each other. I only acted carefully as I tried

to get on your good side back then."

This was something that was on my mind before I came out earlier.

Nicholas fell quiet again. As I raised my hand to hail a cab, his low voice rang out. "Will you be with me again if

Shawn is out of the picture? Ree, I have always been reluctant to let you go, but I don't want to put you in an

awkward position. My heart feels tormented all the time. I don’t know how to save myself."

I dropped my arm and looked at his face.

I could tell that Nicholas was sad and, even more so, indignant.

He regretted missing his chance that year, but it was all in the past.

Since it was in the past, we had to look ahead instead.

I thought about it for a long time before I carefully uttered, "I sometimes think about this, Nicholas. I think about

how things would have been had I stayed with you. I think I would be happy as well, but it would be a different type

of happiness. I'm sure I would never be as happy as I am now… It is probably because I'm living such a blissful life

that my happiness now is what I want most!"

"As long as you are happy, Ree," he choked out.

I hesitated for a bit. "Nicholas?"

"I'm here."

"I used to think that I would only love one person, and my love would last a lifetime. Alas, it was just something

beautiful I longed for. Everyone has to face reality somehow. I didn't manage to stay in love my whole life. As for

loving only one person… It's not like I didn't want to do that. I couldn't. Because the trajectory of life changes with

time, there are too many things in the future that are uncertain. What is most important is to grasp the present.

Like how Aria is now your fiancée."

Nicholas should hold onto his present, and that was Aria.

"Will you and Shawn break up in the future?"

I shook my head. "Never."

"How are you so sure?"

And as for why I was so sure about this? It was because I had been through it.

My experiences with Nicholas and Shawn were completely different. Nicholas and I were together with no romantic

feelings involved. We gained nothing even after three years of trying to make things work. Shawn and I, however,

were taking steps toward each other throughout these two years.

"I was one-sidedly in love with you when we were together. I didn't feel a sense of security because I never knew

what you were thinking. I wasn't even sure if you loved me, and I kept wondering if you did. I kept thinking about it

to the point where I lost myself. But with Shawn, I know that he and I are in love with each other. I'm sure he loves

me no matter what happens. I trust him with all my heart. No matter what happens, he is the one whom I have

chosen to be with my whole life. That is why I can answer your question about why I am so sure that he and I will

never split up."

Nicholas must have noticed my confident expression and firm voice as he abruptly took a step back. "What is it?!"

"Even if we part ways one day, my heart is certain that he is the only one for me in this life no matter how much

unrest and tenderness there may be in the outside world. I don't care even if I am meant to be by myself."

…

It was almost 12.00PM when I returned to the apartment. Seeing how late I was, Shawn asked in concern, "Did

something happen on the way?"

"Yes. I bumped into Nicholas."

I didn't intend to hide it from him at all.

Shawn only grunted without asking anything else.

I told him honestly, "I met him by chance and we had a quick chat. We were only talking about you and me. He

asked me why I am so sure about you. Guess what I told him."

He went along with it. "I can't think of anything."

I went over and kneeled beside him before I hugged his arm. "I told him I love you," I murmured. "I said that we

have been through too much together in these two years and that nothing can separate us. You are the one I

choose even if we separate."

Seeing the gentle smile hanging on his lips, I rested my cheek on his palm and softly reminded him, "I love you. I

will stay by myself even if you were to disappear from my life one day."

"Silly goose. You're talking nonsense again." He then asked in a gentle tone, "Why would I disappear from your life?"