//------------------------------//
// Around Every Corner 
// Story: A Dazzling World 
// by Spyder27 
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	Chapter XII: Obstacles Around Every Corner


“I’ll be there soon!” is the only thing that Apple Bloom texted me a few minutes ago. It’s my first day back at the studio and of course, my first client is going to be late… I suppose it isn’t that big of a deal, since Fancy Pants insisted I only take one student per day for the first week, even though I told him I am fine. I suppose that’s a half truth. I’m mostly fine on the outside, disregarding the occasional back pain and migraine, but on the inside… Let’s just say I’ve been a mess for a while. No matter what I try to do, my thoughts circle back around to her and I can’t stop it. Even Sunset has realized something has been on my mind, asking me if everything’s alright every so often. I need to get better at acting like I’m alright… Acting used to be one of my key talents, but I suppose that withered away with time. Or maybe the same night I tried to pull that trigger. A lot of me disappeared around then…
Slowly, I put my phone back into my pocket, sitting in one of the four armchairs in my office. As one of the only full-time teachers here, I got to have an office, designed by my choice. It’s funny, more singing, instrument and choir teachers are temporarily hired here in the summer, but there are almost always three main hires, staying year round. Fortunately, I landed the interview, allowing me to be the head singing instructor. Not like it matters that much. Even if I do get an assistant, they are only here for a few weeks and that’s it. I know this from what Rainbow told me… She’s apparently worked here for a year and a half now, so she warned me about getting used to having a “rookie” as an assistant once summer comes. 
My office is decorated in mostly purple décor, with a carpet and armchairs to match. I also have posters hung up on the walls, displaying inspirational musicians and quotes. Only one is different among these portraits. One poster, sitting right beside my desk, is a crudely drawn picture of three girls as rock stars, saying “You can do it!” The girls are yellow, white and orange respectively. A happy sigh comes out of my mouth as I shake my head. Maybe Apple Bloom will give me a distraction from the thoughts of the amusement park…
As if on cue, the door to my office opens, a yellow girl rushing in and plopping her bag down and closing the door behind her. Her breaths pant in and out of her body as she grips her sides, trying to catch her breath before looking up at me. Her orange eyes lock with mine and I can sense an apologetic tone in her stare. “H-hey, Adagio! Sorry that I’m late,” she states, walking over and sitting down in front of my desk.
“It’s not a problem. At least you let me know so that I didn’t cancel our appointment,” I say with a chuckle, taking a drink from my water bottle. “Besides, I have all day since you’re my only appointment, so I have nothing to do but wait.” Apple Bloom looks confused at my statement, leaning forward slightly.
“Wait. Really? Why so?” she asks me in a curious tone before I stand up.
“My boss doesn’t want me to teach more than one person each day due to my… accident.” Slowly, I reach into the file cabinet where multiple textbooks are stored, flicking through them like one of those damn high school teachers. I really have changed quite a bit. “But enough about that, what has happened with you? We haven’t really… talked lately,” I say quietly, setting a textbook down in front of Apple Bloom. Her face tells me she’s quite nervous and anxious about this conversation, fiddling with herself and looking away. We both know why we haven’t talked lately… The last time I saw her was a day before my accident and the last time she saw me was in a hospital bed… Both starkly different in context, probably leaving more of a mark on Apple Bloom than I ever intended.
“W-well, I got into that play I was telling ya about!” she states excitedly, a big grin adorning her face. “As a tree, b-but an apple tree! I have no lines, though.” Her hand reaches up to her head, scratching nervously. 
“That’s awesome~ Even as a tree, I’m sure you’ll do great,” I happily interject, holding my pinkie finger out to her. “Pinkie promise you’ll do your best in it?” 
“Hmm? I-I dunno. I’ll do my best, but I’m not sure how to do that. I’m a bucking tree for apple’s sake,” she states hesitantly, looking down to the floor. 
“Apple Bloom…” My words come out a bit harsher than I mean them to, but I want to get the point across. Apple Bloom’s eyes look up into mine, seeing I still have my pinkie finger outstretched. “Once upon a time, you made me promise to do my best. You made me promise to rely on you. Now I’m asking you to promise you’ll do your best, alright?” A few moments pass between us in silence, Apple Bloom unsure of what to say. “For me?”
Sighing, Apple Bloom locks her pinkie with mine and nods. “I-I’ll try my best. But I never expected ya to nag me like my big sis.” We both giggle for a moment, breaking our hands away as I adjust the scarf around my neck. Even though it’s warm inside the building, I don’t feel the need to take it off… 
“Well, someone has to keep you in line~ Besides, how else can I repay the kindness you’ve shown me so far without nagging you?” I wink at Apple Bloom for a moment, an annoyed look paints her face. 
“Y-you don’t have to nag me! Just keep me in the loop, ya know? I want to know what’s going on with ya,” Apple Bloom says quietly, averting her gaze once more. 
“As long as you keep me in the loop of your life too,” I state with a chuckle of my own, pulling my phone out of my pocket and turning it to silent. 
“Deal!” Apple Bloom excitedly states. “My science teacher is assigning another-”
“After class.” Standing up, I pat her head slightly and walk over to the middle of the room where a music stand is propped up, waiting for some sort of lesson to take place. “We can always talk after class~”

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Slowly sliding the music textbook back over the desk to me, Apple bloom yawns a little and stretches her arms out wide. “Can we talk now?” she asks again, looking at me as I put the textbook away, chuckling to myself. I think we should have around five minutes left, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Alright,” I sigh as I sit down at my desk once more, taking my final sip of water. “What do you want to talk about, Apple Bloom?”
“W-well, first off, you drink more often than a horse on a hot summer day and I was the one singing,” Apple Bloom states with a giggle, slowly turning to a concerned look. “Is everything alright?” Her question doesn’t necessarily surprise me, but it does help me assume what the rest of this conversation will be about.
“The doctor told me to drink lots of water and to stay hydrated,” I try to say with a reassuring smile, but it seems the message didn’t fully come across to Apple Bloom. Her hands played with themselves as she tried to desperately not meet my gaze. A heavy sigh comes from her lips slowly, a sign I don’t take lightly. 
“A-and about your head? Is it… alright?” she questions me, trying to prod her way into the past week and a half of my life. 
Steadily, I nod, ruffling the hair on my head with ease. “Everything seems to be fine~ The doctor said that I should still watch for signs like dizziness and imbalance. He also told me to stay away from electronic screens as best I can for a while, so that’s why I haven’t texted you, Apple Bloom. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings by doing that,” I state with a downtrodden face. Even though I was told to stay away from electronic screens, I ignored that advice to watch movies with Sunset. To keep that smile adorning her face… I really didn’t have an excuse to avoid Apple Bloom’s texts, I suppose I just wanted to be alone with Sunset. 
“No no! I understand! I just… I was worried, ya know,” she says quietly looking away from me, towards the posters on my wall. “Especially since… I-I consider ya a good friend, ya know? You always listen to me, even though I rant on and on like crazy and you always try to give me advice about the childish situations I’m in.”
“Isn’t it weird to consider someone quite a few years older than you a friend?” I ask with a skeptical look. 
“I-it ain’t! We both try to be there for each other and I um… I’m really glad I came to know ya. The real Adagio,” she states with a smile, finally stopping her fidgeting to look at me. “S-so, um… How do you feel? W-with everything that’s happened, I don’t want to be making you feel worse by teaching me and all.” A humorous look comes across both our faces as I giggle at her statement, sitting up in my chair and adjusting the scarf around my neck.
“I feel fine, Apple Bloom~ Really. Everyone keeps worrying about me, but the only side effect I feel is mild back pain every now and again, but don’t worry. If anything, being physically active is probably helping my back.” That’s once again a lie… Being active doesn’t seem to help, but there’s no avoiding it. Besides, I wouldn’t waste an opportunity to see Apple Bloom again. Especially after so long. She probably has more tips and tricks to help me be a better friend. She’s always trying to help, but unfortunately, I don’t want to be a better friend right now… It isn’t long until Apple Bloom asks me the fateful question. The one she asks me every time we meet. 
“How are things going with Sunset?” she asks with a smirk and a wink, leaning towards me in her chair. “I heard you were sleeping over at her place and all.” A small moment passes where nothing is said, letting me gather my thoughts together. It’s like a mess of paint in my mind, trying to desperately separate the colors before they become mixed together and nothing makes sense anymore. 
Bringing my hand up to my empty water bottle, I sigh a little, biting my lip. Should I tell Apple Bloom the truth or should the shroud of mystery keep going? A little of my soul objects to revealing the truth, but I know she deserves it. She’s stuck by my side, asking for nothing in return. “Things are… complicated right now,” I say slowly, bringing my hand to my lips to avoid showing the fear on my face. The fear that maybe I fucked up in getting this close with Sunset. Maybe I should have left her alone and maybe things would be better for her then…
“Hmm? Things are complicated?” she asks me with the same curiosity she usually has. “Did something happen? Did one of ya feelings get hurt? Is one of ya upset? Please don’t tell me you’re not friends anymore,” Apple Bloom says in a worried tone, trying to keep her worry off her face, yet it seeps through anyway. 
“We’re still friends… No one’s feelings are hurt. It’s just… things have changed with me slightly.” My expressed feelings seem to confuse Apple Bloom slightly, before a questionable look seizes hold and she runs to the door, opening it slightly to check that no one is outside. Once she’s sure there’s no spy, she closes the door and locks it, running up to me and placing her hands on my desk. 
“Do you… feel something more for Sunset…?” she wearily asks, looking down at me. For a moment, I hesitate, wanting to preserve the little dignity I have left. Admitting I have feelings for a mortal girl? That’s just wrong… Well, it would be wrong for a siren. No, I have to admit it. Sunset’s filled a void in my life… Slowly, I nod, seeing her expression change to one of shock. “I-I… I admit, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were betting that this would happen, but I didn’t think it actually would. How long have ya known? A-and um… how strong is this feeling?” she asks another couple of questions, throwing off my guard and making me blush slightly. I’m able to manage with the embarrassment though, taking a deep breath in and out.
“I’ve known for around five days… Sunset and I went to the amusement park and I… realized my feelings aren’t normal… Apple Bloom, I don’t fucking know what to do…” Resting my head in my arms on my desk, I can’t help but close my eyes and feel a sense of dread taking hold of me. 
“F-five days? Okay, I see. Do you um… Do you-”
“Love her? I do… I love her so much and it hurts to just now realize it… I can’t talk to anyone about it either because who would accept that I could love someone? Especially a former enemy…” Slowly, the sleeves of my hoodie absorb the tears coming out of my eyes, before I feel a hand grab my shoulder. “She means the world to me, Apple Bloom…”
“I would accept that~ I know ya, Adagio. You deserve love too~” she states in her same happy tone as always. “Do ya… want to tell Sunset about your feelings?” she asks me slowly, rubbing my shoulder as gently as she can. Honestly, the question stumps me for a bit… I’m not quite sure what to say. If I do reveal my true feelings to Sunset, then every bit of what we have together will be lost in the fire my greedy soul started… But then I would finally have closure… And if she leaves, then she can have a better life without me… 
My head slowly tilts up and down while my face remains in my arms, sighing heavily. “I can’t stop thinking about her… She’s always been there for me and I… I feel so selfish for feeling this way.” Quickly, Apple Bloom’s hand releases my shoulder and I hear her walk to the middle of the room, messing with her bag. When I look up, I see her fiddling with a notebook, writing something down. “What… are you doing?”
“I’m going to help ya confess to Sunset,” she states blankly, as if reciting a phrase. 
“No, Apple Bloom… You’ve already helped me too much. You don’t-”
“Too late, I’m already making a plan.” The yellow girl sits down again, her scribbling only increases as time goes on. “Unless you don’t want to confess your feelings?” 
“I… I do, but we do this my way,” I say firmly, locking eyes with her. “I just want you to promise me something. Don’t… ever tell Sunset about my feelings for her. I want it to come from me, no matter what happens.” Her eyes widen to my statement but she simply nods to it, locking our pinkies again. 
“Yeah, I can do that. Just promise me you’ll tell her and then we can get to planning~” For a moment, I hesitate once more, but I slowly nod, biting my lip. Knowing Apple Bloom, she’ll try her best to help me with this, but a part of me feels like maybe it’s a mistake to agree to this. Only time can tell I suppose…

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A heavy sigh exits my lips as I look at the dark waters in the night. The ocean’s cool breeze once again welcomes my visit to the beach, beckoning me further into the abyss. Once, I found the dark waters my home, but now, they’re a long lost friend. One I can only look at from a distance. It was a soothing feeling, to be surrounded by the liquid dark and a cool rock sometimes offering a nice place to sleep. Those days are far behind me, but it’s still nice to come here every so often. It’s thought provoking I suppose. Once a time is behind you, then you realize how priceless it was and how much you miss it. I don’t often miss being a siren anymore though… Now, I simply miss some moments with the love of my life. 
In a literal sense, Sunset is the first love in my life… I can’t stop thinking about her, especially now that… I’ve finally admitted what she means to me… I’ve never loved someone before and it sort of frightens me. I’ve never loved someone other than myself before… I guess that’s what’s scary. What would she say? What would happen? I know I’m so selfish for feeling this way because I don’t deserve her, but it’s all my fault for letting this happen… Hell, Sunset probably wouldn’t accept feelings of love from someone who tried to ruin her life… She deserves someone who wouldn’t dare to hurt her, someone who would give her everything she wants. Not me. If I tell her my feelings, then she’ll finally see me for the bad friend I am and find someone better. Wouldn’t that be better for her…?
Sighing to myself, I bite my lips and try to bury my face into my scarf, slowly realizing I left it at home this time. Tonight, I don’t even have my usual coat or hoodie on, switching out for a leather jacket, diamond-print leggings, high heel boots and some jean shorts. It’s entirely too cold for this outfit, but the situation calls for an older attire of mine. It’s odd wearing these sorts of things again… I hate the look of my body, so I try to stick in coats that can hide my figure. Jeans would be better as well, but I just have to suck it up this time. I even have lipstick on again, something I left behind after Christmas. 
“Rich, are they here yet?” I ask out into the air, seemingly talking to no one. Looking over towards the road next to the beach, I see Rich’s car flash its headlights two times. Great, the answer is no. Every time, it’s a no, but what can I do? I’m freezing out here… I swear if they don’t come in at most a minute, I’m going to make them wish they got here sooner. 
Actually… that’s perfect. I just need to get into more of that mindset. After all, this buyer wants to see someone he knows, so it would be better to give him what he wants. A heavy sigh comes from my lips before I plaster on a smirk, narrowing my eyes. If these worms want the same Adagio Dazzle they knew, that’s what they’ll get. 
After a few more minutes of waiting, I finally see a black van pull up on the beach, stopping around thirty feet away from me. Of course, the same three men come out of the sides, two of them going to the back. Chuckling to myself, I walk towards the ring leader of this sorry group. “Cabby… How long has it been? Gotten yourself rich off that stupid scheme yet?” I ask him, laughing rudely at him and crossing my arms. 
“That’s Dr. Caballeron to you, Dazzle!” he states harshly, once more maintaining that harsh exterior. 
“Uh, no, it isn’t. I don’t refer to people by some title unless I respect them,” I say with a giggle, walking past him and towards the back of the van. 
“Ugh… And you don’t respect anyone, do you? Well, not that I care.” His expression shows annoyance once more, reminding me of the days when I used to do these deals more often. 
“Good, you understand me, dickhead. The only person I care about here is myself, so let’s just get this done with, alright?” I request in as rude of a tone as I can manage, not bothering to make eye contact with him. 
“You haven’t changed at all, huh? Power and pride over anything else,” he cackles, leaning against the van.
“You could say that, dirt digger. You make your living off of stolen artifacts, so I would rather not live that sort of life.” For a moment, we both laugh at my remark, Caballeron shaking my hand. 
“It seems you are the real Dazzle I knew. Now, where is it?” he asks me with a mischievous smile. 
“Ah ah ah. No. Payment first, prize later,” I say snidely, looking away from him with feigned disgust. Again, he acts in a predictable manner, sighing and opening the van’s back door. 
“Fine. I must admit, it was surprising what form of payment your boss wanted, but it’s all there,” he states, pointing to the inside of the van. Slowly, I bring my eyes over and stare into the interior, my mouth’s shape contorts from a smirk into an expression of confusion. What the fuck is this…? Inside the van is a whole host of medical supplies and equipment, almost haunting my mind with images of the hospital. Everything from pill bottles to heart rate monitors was stuffed inside this van, making it look like a hospital on the go. Slowly, my face returns to its normal expression of disgust as Caballeron’s men start to unload the equipment. 
“It’s all there, huh? Fine, but I won’t complete this deal until everything is unloaded,” I say with a sigh, walking a few feet away from the truck. What the hell could Rich want with all this medical equipment…? Was he wanting to start a clinic or something? Or maybe he’s sick? No, he seemed perfectly fine the last time we talked. If anything, it would be someone else he’s close to that would be sick. It almost… makes me feel sad for him. It’s never easy to have someone close to you go through some sort of illness. I remember when Sonata got a stomach ache from eating too many tacos that one Christmas. Hell, I even remember when Aria got the flu one time and Sonata and I had to buy some medicine for her. I was close with them once upon a time… but then I ruined it all. I still wonder how they’re doing every now and again, though.
“Dazzle,” Caballeron says in his usual annoyed tone, causing me to look back at him. At this point, all of the equipment has been unloaded and Caballeron’s eyes look towards me. “Time to hold up your end of the bargain. Or should I say that it’s your boss’s end?”
A loud laugh comes from my lips, looking away from him for a second. “Bold of you to assume I’m not getting quite the deal out of this. I’ll have you know that I am much more important than you are to all of this, so if you want to insult me like that, I suppose you won’t get your reward, worm,” I remark as I pull out a vile of red dust, something that Caballeron’s interest seems directed at instantly. I can already see the annoyance in his eyes, fully hating my attitude, but he relents and sighs. 
“I apologize. Just hand it over,” he finally states, holding his hand out towards me. Giving him the vile, I chuckle to myself. Apparently, the vile is filled with very small gems typically found in ancient ruins, making them very valuable in today’s market. I’m not sure why Filthy Rich would trade this for medical supplies, but whatever it is, I can’t help but sigh with disgust at the situation. “It’s been a pleasure once more, Dazzle~” Caballeron says before walking back around the van, not waiting for me to respond. 
“Yeah, just don’t let life hit you in the face, oh wait,” I chuckle as he angrily sighs to himself, getting in the driver’s seat and his goons getting in the sides of the van. Slowly, the van drives out of the beach, getting onto a main road and booking it away from here. With a heavy breath, I take the microphone out of my pocket and bring it to my mouth. “You heard it for yourself. The deal’s done, Rich.” 
Within a few seconds, the car that flashed its headlights before pulls out of the parking lot, driving onto the beach with a couple white vans following him. Instantly, multiple of Rich’s workers get out of their vehicles and start handling his new belongings. Filthy Rich steps out of the car and happily sighs to himself, adjusting his suit coat as he walks up to me.
“My my, Dazzle~ That was quite the performance you did there~” he states with a cheeky smile on his face, clearly happy about the current situation. 
“It wasn’t a performance,” I state as blankly as before, looking into his eyes with a bored expression.
“I highly doubt that, Ms. Dazzle,” he says with a frown for a second. “Especially with the new job and gal you’re hanging out with,” he teases looking down at me.
“I told you don’t bring Sunset into this.” Again, my statement comes off harsher than I meant it to, but I suppose it is just instinct to protect her at this point. The very thought of hurting Sunset used to bring a smile to my face, but now it only brings tears… 
“Fine fine, I understand,” Rich says with his hands up defensively, acting like I’m some crazed animal. “You more than earned your end of the deal. I’ll hold up my promise and pay off your medical bills and the tuition of your gal pal’s college studies.” Rich turns around to walk to his car, but he stops when I grab his shoulder tightly.
“Rich. I need to ask you a question. It’s been bothering me ever since I saw… all of this,” I say a bit hesitantly, keeping my calm composure. My point seems to come across loud and clear as Rich turns around to me and sighs to himself, taking out a handkerchief to blow his nose. 
“Ms. Dazzle, you’ve already completed the deal. There’s nothing else for you to know, so why do you seem curious now?” 
“Call it a hunch,” I say slowly, a fierce gaze shared between the two of us. Honestly, I have no reason to care for the man or to show any concern, but I suppose a bit of Sunset’s nature is rubbing off on me. Walking away from me, Rich sighs and rubs his forehead, seemingly thinking of what to do. 
After a moment, he finally looks back at me and shakes his head to himself. “It’s for my daughter. She hasn’t… felt well recently,” is all he says for a good while, finally looking away from me and lighting another cigar. This time, there is no smile on his face as he does it. “There, now you know and we can both go our separate ways,” he tries to say with the same smile he usually has, but I can tell there’s pain behind his eyes. I feel sort of… sorry for my old employer, finally seeing he is human too, deserving of love and a good life. Though, I suppose I didn’t see it before due to my nature as a siren… We both lock hands, shaking lightly and turning away from each other. Night is always a peaceful time, but it always seems to be the time when bad news is delivered. Why does it always have to be the calm of the storm that is the most damaging to us?

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Knocking on the all too familiar door, I can’t help but feel a new anxious feeling build up in me. It’s not exactly new to come here, but a new feeling has taken hold of my mind, rooting itself deep in my thoughts and making me notice every little detail about her. I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t answer, but… I feel like I need a bit of her warm smile in my life right now. Just seeing her photograph isn’t enough at times. I know it’s so damn selfish of me, wishing to see her every day, especially since she has other friends. It’s hard for me to avoid the urge to call her and just talk for hours once more. Our texts are always nice, but I always seem to miss her voice at work. And her soft touch… Her ocean eyes and her fiery hair embed themselves in my mind, making every day like a summer mist.
Shaking my head, I bite my lip and look at the door again, hearing soft movements on the other side. Sunset doesn’t owe me a thing, especially this late at night, but I couldn’t stop myself from coming here right after I changed back into a hoodie and jeans. Of course, I still have the scarf with me. I never go anywhere without it unless I need to… Sunset, you really do treat me too well…
Softly, the door props open, Sunset’s eye quickly looking through the crack and an audible surprised gasp can be heard behind the door. Opening it all the way, Sunset looks at me and hugs me instantly. “Hey, Adagio~ What’s going on? Are you alright?” she asks in the same caring voice as always, gently rubbing my shoulder with her hand. Again, I feel like melting in her grasp, but I withhold the urge for the time being. 
“Yeah, I’m alright, Sunset. Don’t worry about me. I just wanted to see if you were up and all, since I was nearby,” I lie to Sunset again, making it seem fully natural. The truth is that I walked all the way from my apartment to hers just out of the pure desire to see her again, but I don’t think she should know that. 
Sunset’s hand gently cups my cheek, a smile appearing on both of our faces as she inspects me once more. She always has to make sure I’m doing alright. “Are you sure? You look worn out and exhausted. Do you want something to eat or drink?” she offers me with as warm of a smile as hot chocolate. The thought of sharing a drink with her fills me with joy, but knowing how late in the night it is, I choose to decline. 
“No, I’m not quite thirsty right now, but thank you for the offer. It’s just really nice seeing you, you know?” Awkwardly, my cheeks flush after hearing what came out of my mouth, bringing my hand to my cheek to try and hide the embarrassment for a bit longer. Sunset, on the other hand, giggles like this is just natural for our relationship. 
“That’s pretty cute actually~ I was wanting to visit you soon too. It’s… really nice to see you too, Adagio~” Giving me another hug, our warm embrace makes me feel all too happy, a big smile appearing on my face. Her body pressed against mine never ceases to bring me joy beyond comparison. Unfortunately, our embrace is cut short once more as Sunset backs away, looking into my eyes again, taking my hand in hers. “Do you want to stay the night? You’re a long way from your apartment and I don’t want you to freeze out there~” 
There’s always a bad connotation with staying the night with someone, the assumption of a relationship going on is always too prevalent. With Sunset, the intention is always so innocent, just wanting to make sure I’m safe and warm, going to any lengths to make both of us happy and being the best person she can be. I suppose she enjoys my company… I mean, at this point, it’s hard to refuse, even if I don’t think I’m worth it. Every fiber of my being tells me to say no and walk back home. It doesn’t feel right accepting her offer, knowing what sort of feelings I’m hiding from her, but it’s still tempting nonetheless. Sharing a good night with Sunset one more time before everything is lost sounds… really nice. I know everything will be ruined once I confess to her. Just one more night of happy laughter and smiles wouldn’t hurt, would it? It would be something for both of us to cherish for a short time. Until she inevitably hates me and decides to distance herself from me… The thought is… really depressing, but I know she would have a better life without me. 
With a heavy breath, I happily nod, accepting her offer one more time…