Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

50. Her Mishaps, My Token of a Smile

That evening, Nitya and I were on one of our routine dates, and as usual, she was engrossed in her medical talk -- cases, hospital updates, and future plans. I nodded along, trying to keep up, but in reality, boredom was slowly settling in. My thoughts wandered as I wondered how much longer I could sit through the same conversations.

She excused herself to take a call, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Finally, a moment to breathe without having to force enthusiasm.

As I leaned back, stretching a bit, a girl walked past my table. There was something about her presence, a certain familiarity that caught my attention. My eyes followed her as she moved, her back resembling someone I knew all too well.

I squinted, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. But when she turned around, it hit me. It was Sarah. She didn’t seem to notice me as she walked by, completely unaware of my gaze. For a brief moment, I sat there, taken aback, unable to believe we’d crossed paths like this.

Sarah approached the couple's table with a puzzled expression. “What are you two doing here?” she asked, looking genuinely surprised.

The girl furrowed her brows and turned to her boyfriend. “Wait, you know her?” she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.

The boy's eyes widened in panic. “N-No! I swear, I’ve never seen her before!” he stammered, his hands fidgeting.

Sarah tilted her head slightly, looked here and there. "Where's my purse?” she asked, locking eyes with the boy.

The girl’s eyes flared in anger. “What?! You have her purse?! You cheated on me, didn’t you?!” she snapped, her voice rising.

The boy threw up his hands in disbelief. “No, no! Baby, I don’t have her purse! I don’t even know her!” He turned to Sarah, now both confused and desperate. “What are you even talking about? Who are you?!”

Sarah’s playful demeanor softened as she glanced around, realizing her mistake. She let out a small laugh and said, “Oh, wait... This is your table?” Her smile became apologetic. “Oops, my mistake. This is actually my table.” She pointed to the adjacent seat, letting out a sheepish chuckle. “Sorry for the mix-up, you guys. Enjoy your night.”

She walked away quickly, leaving the couple speechless. The girl shot her boyfriend a withering glare, while he sat frozen, still processing what had just happened.

Sarah rushed to her seat, her face flushed with embarrassment as she realized the couple was still staring at her in disbelief. She grabbed her things and made a quick exit, clearly flustered by the awkward encounter.

Watching the whole scene unfold, I couldn't hold back my laughter.
A few people around me began to stare, their eyes narrowing in curiosity or annoyance. I quickly straightened up, wiping the grin off my face as best as I could. Still, the occasional giggle escaped, my shoulders shaking as I tried to keep it together.

As I dropped Nitya off at her house, I couldn't stop giggling the entire way. She glanced at me, clearly confused by my sudden amusement.

With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "What's going on with you? Are you really that happy about the date, or did something funny happen that I missed?"

I quickly suppressed my laughter, just shrugged and replied, "Nothing, don’t worry about it."

She gave me a suspicious look before getting out of the car, but I couldn't help chuckling to myself again as I drove away.

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On Sunday, I visited Vicky's studio, as we often did to catch up and gossip. While chatting, my hand instinctively reached for his camera, flipping through the recent shots.

As I scrolled, Sarah's face appeared again -- numerous photos of her, taken from different angles, in various candid moments. My grip on the camera tightened without thinking. A subtle irritation crept up, and I found it hard to focus on whatever Vicky was saying at that moment.

I kept my gaze locked on his camera, feeling the frustration bubbling up. "You didn’t answer me last time," I said, my tone sharper than I intended. "Do you like her?"

Vicky paused, clearly caught off guard, then tried to play it off casually. "Ryan, come on, why are you bringing this up again? It’s not—"

I wasn’t having it. "Spare me the vague responses," I interrupted. "Look at these pictures. They’re too... perfect. Like they were taken by someone who sees more than just a subject. Someone who cares. You’ve put so much effort into them that it’s hard to tell if it’s just your job or... something else."

He sighed, sounding a bit irritated. "So, by your genius logic, I must be in love with every woman I photograph, huh?"

I smirked slightly, but my voice stayed firm. "That’s not what I’m saying. I’m asking if Sarah is just another one of your models... or is she someone special to you?"

"You won't get any chance either," a voice suddenly chimed in. I turned, startled, to see Krystal walking in with a mischievous grin.

She casually leaned against the doorframe and said, "First of all, I’m honestly surprised that someone’s finally taken an interest in her." She gave Vicky a teasing look. "But if you're just playing around, then it's not cool. Don't mess with her feelings."

Vicky raised an eyebrow, about to say something, but Krystal cut him off, "Oh, and by the way, she’s getting engaged."

Both Vicky and I blurted out at the same time, "What?!"