Growth

Silence stretched between them.

He didn't know what to say. The words were there, stuck somewhere between his chest and throat

These feelings didn't just appear overnight after he came back from the future. 

No, these feelings came from his younger self

Built slowly, shaped every time she comforted him, protected him, stayed when others didn't. 

But even knowing this, his heart still seek for her. 

'Don't be an idiot,' he tried to remind his old self that he needed to stop clinging to the past and move forward. 

"Terrence… what you're feeling—it's not what you think." 

She paused, eyes locked on the wine glass "It's gratitude. That's what this is." 

Her voice dropped. "And it's my fault it came to this. I should've… I should've drawn the line sooner. I was the adult. I—I knew better, and still..." 

Effie's words trailed off, caught somewhere between guilt and regret. 

He clenched his fist beneath the table, knuckles turning pale. "So you don't have feelings for me?" 

She drew in a breath through her nose, held it, then let it out slowly. "It's not that simple." 

"That's not an answer." 

He leaned forward, elbows on the edge of the table now. The calm act was gone. His stare burned, waiting—daring her to say it outright. 

Effie looked away, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her napkin. "I'm sorry," 

"That's not a damn answer," he snapped. "You took care of me, bought me things, and even now—" he held up the watch box, "you give me this, and expect me to believe you don't like me?" 

Her lips parted, but nothing came out right away. 

Terrence didn't let up. 

"You've been there more than anyone. You made me feel like I mattered—like I wasn't just some kid my relative just put up with." His voice cracked a little at the end. He didn't meant for that to show. 

Effie placed her hands flat on the table. 

"You're right. I did all those things. And I do like you. But that doesn't mean it's okay to act on it." 

"Why not? We like each other," 

"Do you hear yourself right now? What will people say about us?" She looked anxious.

"It doesn't matter. It never stopped you from spoiling me and showering me with affection all these years. So what? You just want to keep doing it to satisfy your own fantasies while I'm stuck playing the overly dependent nephew?" 

She didn't say anything. Instead, she lifted her glass and took a full sip of wine, eyes fixed on the ocean. 

"Forget about it." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm done." 

Effie's eyes flickered with regret, like she was wishing she could change her answer.

But deep down, she knew this was the right choice, even if it hurt both of them. 

If she acted on her own feelings, everyone would condemn her. They would become the subject of endless scrutiny and gossip. 

'This is for the best.' she convinced herself.

Meanwhile, Terrence felt something he had never experienced before.

It was like a part of him had finally given up, and his dominant self began to take over all at once. 

His focus sharpened. His thoughts darkened. The world around him lost its color. 

'I see... this feeling,' he thought bitterly. 

'This is the emptiness I felt every day—facing monsters, stepping over lifeless bodies, hearing screams as people were ripped apart, watching comrades fall without hope. This is the real me. '

He finally broke free from one of the fixation of his younger self. 

"Let's just finish this dinner and head home." He smiled at her, but his expression was devoid of any emotion—so much that she felt like she was staring at a completely different person. 

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. 

"Why wouldn't I be okay? Actually, I should thank you—for making me realize my true feelings," he added. 

"Terrence.. I"

"Please, stop doing that," he interjected. 

"You used me to feel needed, and I used you because it gave me something to hold onto. We both got something out of it—a win-win, right?

He tapped the table. "But now that we've outgrow whatever that was, it's time to stop playing house."

"But I..."

Before she could say more, he cut her off again.

"Don't worry. You won't even have to see me tomorrow. I'm moving out."

"Wait... why?" she exclaimed. "This is too sudden." 

The thought of him leaving made her chest tighten. Without him, the house would be unbearably empty.