心跳瞬间

"Have you mailed the reply?" Jake Carter asked seriously as soon as he opened his mouth. His sharp gaze locked onto her, waiting for her answer.

"Why are you here again?" Sophia Anderson countered with a sigh instead of answering.

Not long ago, Jake had been less frequent due to graduation exams, but recently he had started showing up unexpectedly.

Ever since he learned that Sophia had applied to schools on the East Coast, he had worn a displeased expression, as if the whole world owed him something. He outright refused to acknowledge her other options, insisting that she promptly send her acceptance to Stanford and verbally agree to attend the same school as the Carter siblings, even moving in with the Carter family.

Sophia certainly didn't agree. They had already clashed several times over this; once, they even argued in the garden of the Carter family, with the little dog Cake watching them innocently. Fortunately, the only witnesses were mute dogs; otherwise, the Carter family would probably have known about their situation by now.

After all, how could ordinary friends argue to the point of sealing their quarrel with a passionate kiss?

Every meeting was filled with anxiety, a constant fear that the Carter parents might grow suspicious, that Mia Carter might suddenly return to the apartment, and worrying about... everything.

"Don't change the subject. Did you send your reply or not?"

"I did." Sophia answered casually, hoping to quell his relentless questioning.

"You're lying." To her surprise, Jake immediately retorted, "I checked with your department today; the secretary said they haven't received any response from you."

Sophia widened her eyes in disbelief.

Although Jake was quite famous at school, he was still just a student. The fact that he could find out such details was unbelievable!

"I thought I made it clear that if you don't stay, I'll follow you," Jake said, standing at the door, gazing at her seriously, showing no signs of compromise. "And if anyone asks why, I'll tell them the truth: it's because I'm with you. We can't be apart—that's the only answer, no matter who asks."

"I thought I made it clear enough that we can't be together, and you can't tell anyone!" Sophia stood up from the sofa, facing Jake, emphasizing each word.

Jake scoffed. "If I let you go, will you come back? Either way, I want to be with you. It doesn't matter where. As for the location, you can choose; just let me know when you decide, and I'll prepare in advance."

"Why are you forcing me like this?"

"I'm not forcing you. Will you listen otherwise?" Jake refused to relent. "You'll have to make a decision sooner or later. I just want your answer, and then I'll adjust myself to accommodate you. It's as simple as that."

Sophia's bright eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, but she merely stared at him, saying nothing more.

"Going to the East Coast is fine; without my parents or my sister around, we won't have to hide anymore." Jake shrugged. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they found out."

Of course, he wouldn't mind; he was eager to announce it to the world!

The intricate web of love felt like it was tightening around her, making it hard for her to breathe.

It was time to muster the courage to sever these ties and give each other freedom.

Late on a weekend night, Cake the dog, shut out of Jake's room, whined a few times but was ignored before sadly wandering to the end of the corridor and climbing onto its special dog pillow, whimpering itself to sleep like a neglected princess.