Unrequited Vows: The Heart That Was Never Hers

ASTER A series of honks outside the gate jolted me out of my sleep. As I switched on the bedside lamp to check what time it was, I sighed because it was already past two in the morning. I wanted to ignore the noise and go back to sleep, but the honking didn’t stop. Any minute now, I expected to hear an angry neighbor shouting, disturbed by the noise. How many times did the homeowners complain about my best friend, Yuan? Countless! Yes, he was such a troublemaker! Aside from it, Yuan had earned a "playboy" reputation at our university. He was practically juggling girlfriends left and right. His relationship wouldn't last three months, as if women had an expiration date. There was even a time when two of his girlfriends bumped into each other in front of me and ended up pulling each other's hair, both claiming to be Yuan's girlfriend. And where was my playboy best friend? There he was standing off to the side, scratching his head. Naturally, I was the one who ended up cleaning up his mess. I remembered asking both of the girls if they would be willing to let Yuan go. They both said no. So, to avoid any more fights, I suggested they set a schedule for spending time with him. To my surprise, they agreed! Honestly, I couldn’t blame the girls for being drawn to him. Yuan’s good looking physique was undeniable. I swear, he could be lined up with popular Hollywood or Asian actors. I wasn't exaggerating—he was genuinely handsome. Tall, probably over six feet, towering over me. If only he was into sports, he’d make an excellent basketball player. I still couldn't believe that I had a friend who seemed almost too good-looking to be real. Meanwhile, here I was, just an ordinary student, someone you wouldn’t even notice in a crowd. I was also curly and short. But despite all that, Yuan had never been embarrassed to be seen with me. He was always clingy, holding onto me whenever we walked together. Girls at the university were so envious, and I couldn’t resist teasing them even more. Oftentimes, I wrapped my arms around Yuan’s waist to annoy them. For Yuan, it was nothing. But for me? Okay fine! I would admit it—I’m in love with my best friend. I was one of those girls hopelessly smitten with him, but I keep it a secret. No one could know, or it would ruin our friendship. He had always seen me as a sister, and I knew that would never change. Oh my God! I got so lost in my thoughts that I forgot about Yuan waiting outside! I quickly got out of bed, slipped on my slippers. Afterward, I rushed to open the gate. My godparents were away on a three-day trip to Hawaii, so it was just me at home. It became my role to open the gate whenever Yuan came home late. "Why did it take you so long to open the gate?" Yuan asked. I noticed he was in a good mood because instead of scolding me, he was grinning. "I was sleeping soundly." "Always!" "Why are you so happy?" "Because Samantha is about to say yes to me!" "Good for you!" I muttered under my breath and went back inside the house. Samantha was known as the luckiest girl in our university because she had managed to catch Yuan’s attention. Yuan caught up to me just when I was about to walk upstairs. I noticed him holding a can of beer in one hand and a bucket of fried chicken from a popular restaurant in the other hand. He was grinning like he wanted us to celebrate. I shook my head. If he was happy, I was definitely not in the mood. "Come on, please!" he begged. "No way!" Before I could reach my room, he managed to get inside first. I frowned and ignored him, lying down on my bed and pulling the blanket over myself. The sank as he lay beside me, so I sat up and started kicking him until he fell off the bed. "Yuan!" I rushed to his side, but my worry faded when I saw him grinning up at the ceiling. "You’re acting crazy!" I said, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm so happy and excited, Lucinda Aster Lewis." I closed my eyes, holding back my annoyance. I hated it when he called me by my full name. It felt so old-fashioned. I preferred just “Aster”. He knew that well, yet he kept on calling me by my full name. "Why are you so excited?" "For my next date with Samantha." "Congratulations," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Guess what." "I’m not a mind reader." "You’re such a smart aleck, shorty," he said, giving me a gentle flick on the forehead. "Sam told me she’s going to say yes, so I’m going all out for our date." "You are really going to make an effort?” My best friend just smiled at me, then went back to staring at the ceiling, looking as if he was dreaming. "I really love Sam…" Hearing those words stung. It felt like tiny needles pricking at my heart. I should be used to it by now, right? How many heartaches had he given me already? All of it started when Sam transferred to our university and instantly became popular. And my childhood friend here, Yuan, wasted no time courting her. They were attracted to each other from the start. And just after two weeks, I heard they were about to be official? Meanwhile, here I was, silently nursing my pain in the corner. “Well, that’s good,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the pain in my voice. “But I need your help, buddy.” “No! No! I don’t want to!” I flopped back onto the bed, trying to put an end to this conversation. But then, I felt Yuan scoot closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. I knew he didn’t mean anything by it; it was just his way of coaxing me, buttering me up to agree to whatever crazy idea he had in mind. And me? I was so gullible that a single breath from him on the back of my neck would probably have me jumping to do whatever he wanted. Believe me, the sacrifices I had made for this guy were no joke. Let me give some examples. The first time he tried to woo Samantha, he wanted balloons—a ton of them—for a surprise. Guess who spent hours inflating every single one? Yep, that was me. Then, he invited her over for dinner, and it so happened that his mom wasn’t home. So, naturally, I ended up cooking the entire meal with the help of their maid. They were so engrossed in each other, enjoying every bite, while I got no credit for the hard work. I almost got splattered by hot oil too! And here's the unforgettable one: he got into a heated public fight with his ex, Elise, one of his many girlfriends, over her jealousy. It was a full-blown scene, like something out of a movie, with a crowd gathered as if watching a live drama unfold. Elise grabbed a random student’s slurpee, intending to throw it at Yuan. But my dear, nimble friend managed to dodge, and guess who got soaked instead? Yes, it was me! But, at the very least, he was furious with Elise and broke up with her. And from that day on, I had learned my lesson. There was no way I would be helping him out with anything that involved women. “Come on, Aster. I swear, it’s a simple task this time.” “Like what?” “Just a dinner with fireworks. There’s no one available to handle the fireworks, so can you…” “No! No way!” “Aster, please!” “Oh, Yuan, you’re not going to win me over with your sweet talk!” I shot him a glare, but he knew all my weaknesses. He gripped me tighter, then buried his face in my neck where he knew I was ticklish. I shrieked, trying to wiggle free, but it was useless—he was way too strong. With a deep sigh, I gave up. “Fine, okay, I’ll do it.” “Thank you, Miggy!” he said, planting a quick kiss on my cheek. It was a common scene for us—hugging, teasing, laughing together. But did he have any idea about the effect on me when our bodies touched? Did he know how fast my heart races? How could I practically feel myself freeze up? Of course not. My best friend was completely clueless.