2

Julie took out her cell phone and shook it. I saw Eric’s Facebook.

Eric: [I haven’t watched a movie in a long time.]

He posted a photo of him and me holding hands, as well as the location of the mall.

Julie said with sarcasm, "Joyce, you are so shameless. You are Eric's friend but enjoy the treatment of his lover."

I asked, "So what? What are you here for?"

Julie raised her head proudly. "Eric is a good man and many girls like him. You know, we have kept in touch after graduation, and he often talks to me about things that girls like. It's easy for a girl to pursue a boy. If I have a try, he will like me."

I looked at her with sympathy. There were indeed many girls who liked Eric, but he didn't like any of them. I said, "Well, I wish you good luck."

Julie's pretty face twisted as she said, "Do you know what everyone says? They say you're cheap. You pretend to be innocent and stay with Eric, but you don't even dare to say you like him!"

She approached me, with a vicious face. "Do you think he would react more strongly if he knew that his best 'friend' also had that kind of disgusting feelings for him?

"This is the betrayal of the closest person."

I didn't know what to say.

Julie was right. I didn’t dare to let Eric know because I was afraid that he would abandon me.

Perhaps my silence pleased Julie. She leaned close to my ear and said arrogantly, "It's a pity that you don't have a chance..."

"Joyce?" Eric interrupted Julie, and I looked up at him.

Eric was six feet high, and with a handsome face, he stood out in the crowd. The top two buttons of his black shirt were always open. Holding a bucket of popcorn didn't diminish his handsomeness at all. His expression was gloomy at this moment. Otherwise, many girls would come forward to chat with him.

He was a little surprised when he saw Julie. "What a coincidence."

Julie smiled sweetly at him, "Yes, what a coincidence."

I was stunned, thinking, "Well, that's not what you said just now."

Frowning, Eric held my hand and brought me to his side. He nodded coldly to Julie. "The movie is about to start. We'll go in first."

Julie was embarrassed. Then she reached out and grabbed the corner of Eric's clothes with a sweet smile. "Wait a minute. I have something to tell you."

She tilted her head to look at me. "Can you please leave for a moment?"

When I was about to leave, Eric gently pinched my wrist. I looked at him in confusion and saw him reach out for his cell phone. He quickly swiped through the contacts and deleted Julie without hesitation.

Julie was standing opposite, and her face turned pale instantly. "You..."

Eric raised his head with cold eyes. "I thought everyone knew the result.

"Thank you for telling me what gifts girls like before."

It turned out that Eric asked Julie about every gift he gave me. No wonder I thought he had a good eye.

Julie's lips turned pale, looking very fragile. I lowered my head and thought, "Well, everyone knows the result, but everyone hopes that they will be the exception. Unfortunately, no one is."

I raised my head and wanted to help Eric hold the food on the tray, but Julie suddenly looked up and said with a vicious expression, "What about Joyce? She likes you more than anyone else."

Julie's expression was very proud like an audience about to watch the climax of a movie.

She exposed my secret to Eric as if she were saying, "Look, the woman closest to you also likes you."

I lowered my head and didn't explain.

3

Eric was stunned for a moment. Feeling his gaze on my face, I looked away embarrassedly and wanted to explain, but I had no idea where to start.

Julie looked even prouder.

Eric took a step towards me. As I looked up at his handsome face, he put his arm around my waist. His gloomy expression disappeared instantly, and he smiled, "Not only does Joyce like me, but I like her, too."

Both Julie and I were stunned.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward. I secretly glanced at Eric and found that he was complacent.

With a surprised expression, Julie pointed at Eric with a trembling hand. "But you said that you..."

Eric didn't want to explain to her. "You don't understand Joyce and me. We don't have that kind of superficial relationship."

Shocked by his words, Julie looked at us in amazement.

I thought, "See? This is the final result. It's not the first time someone has tried to stir things up, but Eric doesn't care, so I'm not panicked at all."

He knew that we liked each other, but it was not love, and we wouldn't have sex.

Julie was smart, and she could tell this from Eric's words. Being shocked for a while, she stood silently opposite us. All the provocations and harsh words just now seemed like a joke.

I was not her love rival, and she wouldn't be Eric's exception.

The noble school beauty became a clown, who lost all her dignity for a man she could never get.

Eric's patience reached its limit. Putting his arm around me, he urged me to go to the cinema. When we passed by Julie, I heard her whisper, "Joyce, you are so pitiful..."

It suddenly dawned on me.

It turned out that in their eyes, I was pitiful.

In the past, I was the person of their envy. They envied me because Eric treated me specifically and I was the only person who always stayed with him.

However, when they found out that Eric had no feelings for me beyond friendship, they started to feel sympathy and disdain for me.

A girl once said, "At least I tried. But Joyce, you are afraid of losing and never dare to try."

Love was like a sponge. The longer the time, the stronger the love. If love was little, it could be carefully hidden, but if it was too strong, it would overflow with a slight poke.

I realized that I couldn't go on like this. Today, Julie discovered my love for Eric at just one glance. If it went on like this, would Eric discover it himself?

My nails were digging into my palms, and it hurt a little. I told myself, "It's time to stop my self-deception, Joyce."

Because I was worried about something, I was distracted while watching the movie. Eric whispered to me several times, but I didn't react.

On the way back, I asked, "Some people misunderstood our relationship before, but why didn't you explain?"

Eric was confused.

I tried to reason with him. "You told people that you didn't want to fall in love, so those girls gave up, but you..."

I thought for a while and continued, "You are very close to me and you said that we like each other. This way, they will misunderstand that I am your girlfriend. What you said before is all in vain. People who like you will have hope again."

Eric said, "I don't care what those people think. Besides...

"They know you are my girlfriend, but they still have hope. It proves that it is right for me to block them."

My heart beat faster uncontrollably. Eric said "You are my girlfriend" seriously, and his tone was so natural as if I were indeed his girlfriend.

I took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, "That's true, but it will affect my chances of finding a boyfriend."

Eric paused suddenly. "You want to find a boyfriend?"