† 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 † Angels Love

Chapter 29

Christopher's POV

A month had passed since that day in the history class. Since the moment everything had blown up, and the truth had come out. A month since I had seen the raw pain on Star's face, the anger in her voice as she'd screamed at Rou and me, and then ran from the room as if the world was crumbling around her.

I hadn't spoken to her since. She had been avoiding me, and I'd been too wrapped up in my own thoughts to try to stop her. Star was a ghost now, slipping through the hallways with her eyes downcast, a shadow of the vibrant person I used to know. Her silence cut deeper than any argument we could have had. I knew she was hurting, but she wouldn't let me in, wouldn't let me even try to fix the mess I had helped create.

And now, standing in the garden where the first raindrops of spring had begun to fall, I couldn't deny it any longer. I liked her. Maybe even more than that. I wanted her back, wanted to see her smile, wanted to make her believe that she wasn't alone. But I had no idea how to reach her.

I found Rou sitting by the stone fountain, her eyes closed, listening to the soft trickle of water. The garden was quiet, the air fresh with the scent of new blooms, a stark contrast to the chaos inside me. She opened her eyes as I approached, looking up at me with a knowing smile. Rou always seemed to know what I was feeling before I did.

"Christopher," she said, her voice gentle. "You've been avoiding me."

I sighed, sinking down onto the bench beside her. "I haven't been avoiding you," I muttered, though we both knew it wasn't true. "I've just... I've had a lot on my mind."

Rou studied me for a moment, her expression softening. "It's about Star, isn't it?"

I nodded, staring down at my hands. "She hates me, Rou. She hates both of us. And I can't stop thinking about her. I thought if I could just get her to understand, to see that I care... but now, I don't even know if she'll ever talk to me again."

Rou placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch warm and reassuring. "Christopher, you can't blame yourself for this. Star is hurt, and she's confused. She's been told her whole life that love between our kinds is wrong, that it only leads to pain. It's not easy for her to accept that what we had with Zade was real, that it was worth fighting for."

"But it was real," I said fiercely, looking up at Rou. "What you and Zade had, it was real. And what I feel for Star... it's real too. I can't just let her go. I've tried, but I can't stop thinking about her. She's always in my head, and it's driving me crazy." I sighed in deafedness.

Rou smiled softly, her eyes full of understanding. "You care about her," she said gently. "More than you're willing to admit. And that's okay, Christopher. Loving someone, even when it's hard, even when it feels impossible, that's not a weakness. It's a strength."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration and longing warring inside me. "But what if she never forgives me? What if she never sees that I'm not the enemy, that I just want to help her, to be there for her?"

"Give her time," Rou said softly. "She's scared, Christopher. Just like you are. But if you really care about her, then don't give up. Show her that you're willing to fight for her, that you believe in her, even when she doesn't believe in herself."

I looked at Rou, seeing the earnestness in her eyes, the quiet strength that had drawn Zade to her all those years ago. I wanted to believe her, wanted to think that there was still a chance for me and Star. But the memory of Star's tear-filled eyes, her words of anger and betrayal, made that hope feel distant, fragile.

"How?" I asked quietly, my voice almost lost in the sound of the fountain. "How do I show her that I care, that I'm not the enemy?"

Rou's smile was sad but hopeful. "By being honest," she said. "By telling her the truth about how you feel. And by being patient. If you love her, Christopher, then don't let her go. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Fight for her."