Steal His Innocence - Completed

Chapter 37: The Reason

ASHER POV

She thought I woke up one day and chose to walk away.

She thought it was about Hara.

She thought it was about insecurity.

It was.

But it wasn't that simple.

Three weeks before the lake, I was in an alley with Sean.

Not because we were friends.

Because he cornered me.

The alley smelled like smoke and damp concrete. He stood there like he owned the shadows, one foot against the wall, cigarette between his fingers, metal rings catching what little light filtered in.

He didn't look angry.

He looked observant.

"You think you can handle her world?" he asked casually, like he was talking about the weather.

"I can," I answered.

My voice didn't crack.

But something inside me did.

He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell nicotine and something expensive. "Kaya mo ba siyang isabay sa lahat ng problema na pwedeng mangyari sa'yo?" he continued. "You think when things collapse, you won't drag her down with you?"

"I won't," I said again.

But I hesitated half a second too long.

Sean noticed. He always notices weakness.

"She's not soft," he added. "She's loud. Reckless. Impulsive. Kailangan niya 'yung taong kaya siyang sabayan. Yung kahit magunaw ang mundo, may isang taong kayang isakripisyo ang sarili niya."

That one hit.

Because I wasn't loud.

I wasn't dominant.

I didn't command a room.

I calculated it.

Sean flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his shoe. "Matalino ka. Alam ko 'yon. But smart men overthink. And overthinking men freeze."

He walked past me, but his last sentence stayed.

"Don't ruin her because you're afraid you're not enough."

That night, I didn't sleep.

Not because I believed him entirely.

But because a part of me did.

A week later, Miss Chelly called me into her office.

She didn't waste time.

"There's an internship opportunity overseas," she said, sliding a folder across her desk. "Highly competitive. One year minimum. Possibly longer. It will change your trajectory."

I stared at the folder but didn't touch it.

"If it's about Viana," she added calmly, adjusting her glasses, "hindi ko naman kayo pinaghihiwalay. I just want my students to be better."

She always saw through me.

"She deserves someone who won't feel small beside her," she continued. "And you deserve to become the man you're capable of being."

I almost said no.

Because Viana had been softer with me lately. Less defensive. Less combative. She was letting me stand beside her without pushing me away.