Rhythm Of Deceit

Chapter 35: The Choice

The days that followed Rio’s departure were filled with a strange sense of calm, though it wasn’t without its aftershocks. The ripple effect of our confrontation had spread across Southland College like wildfire, and though Rio had vanished, his presence still lingered in whispers and stares. The campus had changed in the wake of his downfall, as if everyone were collectively holding their breath, waiting for something else to happen.

But nothing did.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I was able to breathe—truly breathe—without the constant weight of fear bearing down on me. I had faced the storm, and I had survived it. And I wasn’t alone. Adler had stood by me through it all, and his unwavering support had been a constant light in the darkness.

We didn’t talk much about what happened after Rio left. The silence between us spoke volumes—an understanding that needed no words. The truth had been laid bare, and there was no need to rehash the painful past.

But as time passed, the quiet moments between Adler and me began to feel different. I could no longer ignore the fact that we had both changed. Rio’s shadow had cast such a long, dark veil over our lives that, now that it was gone, we were left to navigate a world where the rules had shifted. And within that space, I found myself questioning what I truly wanted—what I needed.

Adler and I were closer than ever, yet there was a part of me that remained uncertain. A part of me that couldn’t forget about Rio—about how he had made me feel, the way his attention had once felt like a force that pulled me in, a gravitational pull that I had never quite understood. He had been the chaos in my life, the thrill of something forbidden, the dangerous temptation that had always been just out of reach.

I thought about him more often than I wanted to admit, replaying the moments we’d shared, trying to make sense of everything. It was as if part of me couldn’t fully shake the pull of his energy, even now. He had been wrong, twisted in his methods, but somewhere deep inside, I still couldn’t deny that part of me had been drawn to him—whether it was his charm, his intensity, or something else entirely.

But that wasn’t love. I knew that now. Love wasn’t manipulation. It wasn’t control. It wasn’t the twisted idea of possession that Rio had clung to.

Love was Adler.

I hadn’t realized it before, but now, in the quiet moments of reflection, I saw it clearly. The way Adler had always been there for me, supporting me even when I couldn’t fully see the path ahead. The way his presence calmed me, like a gentle melody playing in the background of my life. He had never tried to control me. He had never tried to change me. Instead, he had allowed me to be myself, even when I was lost, even when I was uncertain.

I had made my decision, but it wasn’t a decision I had come to lightly. It had taken time, patience, and self-reflection. And when the day came to tell Adler how I felt, I knew there was no other choice I could make.

Adler had always been my constant, my rhythm, and I had been the harmony. Together, we made something beautiful—something real.

That afternoon, I met him at the old café by campus where we used to hang out during the early days of our friendship. The place was almost empty, just the quiet murmur of conversation and the clink of coffee cups filling the air. Adler was already there when I arrived, sitting at a corner booth, his back to the window. He looked up when I walked in, and for a moment, his smile was the only thing that mattered.

"Hey," I greeted softly, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Hey," he replied, his eyes softening when he saw me. "How’s it going?"

I could tell he was trying to keep the conversation light, but I knew he was waiting for me to say something more. Something real.

I took a deep breath, the words heavy on my tongue. "I’ve been thinking a lot lately," I began, my voice a little shaky. "About everything. About us. And about what’s happened."

Adler’s brow furrowed slightly, sensing the shift in tone. "What are you trying to say, Aniya?"

I looked into his eyes, the person who had been my strength, my anchor through the storm, and I knew, without a doubt, that this was where I belonged.

"I’m saying that I choose you, Adler," I whispered. "I’ve always chosen you, even when I didn’t know it. And I’m ready to be with you. I’m ready to be with the one who has always stood by my side, no matter what."

For a long moment, Adler didn’t say anything. He just sat there, his gaze locked onto mine, his eyes softening with a mixture of relief and joy. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face, lighting up his features like the sun breaking through clouds after a storm.

"You’re sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he couldn’t quite believe what I was saying.

I nodded, my heart racing with certainty. "I’m sure."

Without another word, Adler reached across the table, taking my hand in his. It was a simple gesture, but it was everything I needed. In that moment, I knew that this was the beginning of something new. We had fought through the darkness together, and now, we could walk into the light—together.

"Then let’s do this," he said softly, his voice filled with promise.

And in that moment, I knew that no matter what had happened in the past, no matter what challenges lay ahead, I had made the right choice.

Together, we would face whatever came next.

Together, we would make our own rhythm.

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The End of "Rhythm of Deceit"

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