ra didn''t even look back as she walked away.


    Simon stood there for what felt like forever, and by the time he finally stepped outside, ra had vanishedpletely.


    He drove home in a fog, not paying any attention to the road, and before he knew it, he''d crashed his car into the river. As icy water surged into the car, his first instinct wasn''t to save himself-it was to call ra. Memories of their good times flooded his mind, overwhelming him with regret.


    He remembered how he had tried to exin that his first time with Quinn was a mistake, but ra had hit him with the hard truth: "What about all the times after that?"


    He had no real answer back then. His attitude was careless-if it happened once, why not again? Plus, in his mind, ra loved him enough to forgive anything. He always thought that no matter how badly he messed up, she''d always be there waiting.


    But he never saw her losing her memorying. Or her warming up to Dn, the guy she used to hate.


    Simon was kicking himself for everything.


    When ra picked up the phone, his voice cracked. "ra, I''m gonna die."


    ra, beyond frustrated with his antics, took a deep breath. "Simon, you''re a grown man. Stop acting like a kid."


    "I''m serious, I''m really gonna die!"


    "Then go ahead and do it, but stop calling me."


    Her words came out sharp, fueled by the embarrassment he''d caused her earlier at the hotel in front of Dn. She''d told him over and over that there was nothing going on with Dn, but Simon never listened.


    Her words left him stunned, disbelief swirling in his head. "What did you say? Say it again, ra, or I''ll—"


    But hearing the strength in his voice, ra knew he was fine and hung up on him.


    The water had reached his chest by then, and a desperate urge to survive pushed him to the back seat. He kicked out a window and swam to safety.


    As he reached the riverbank, he copsed, crying. He was furious at ra for telling him to die and for letting Dn into her life. If Dn could be her sidekick, why couldn''t he? Hadn''t she once loved him more than anyone?


    His mind was a chaotic mess until footsteps approached, and a shadow loomed over him.


    Simon looked up, water dripping from his hair, blurring his vision. His eyes stung and he rubbed them, finally realizing who it was—it was Aaron.


    He turned his head away immediately. "What are you doing here?"


    Aaron, noticing Simon''s puffy eyes, handed him a photo. "Simon, ever wonder why ra was so good to you? She saw you as a recement. The person she really loved was someone else. I only got a shot of the guy''s back, but doesn''t he look a bit like you? It''s not you, though. When ra was with you, didn''t it feel like she was looking past you at someone else? Whoever she really loved must have had something happen to them, and she turned to you forfort."