Chapter 129 - Our Relationship

The story of Devon and Quentin was just any other cliche love story that didn't have a happy ending. One could say the other one was wrong, but others could say otherwise. 

"Thing is, I loved you and you loved me… at least, a bit," Quentin murmured, still talking to the spirit as he laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "You loved me just a little bit."

"How do you know it's just a bit? You make it sound like it's my fault now. Was your apology earlier for show?" Ghost Lin spat out, laying on her side with her eyes on his side profile.

It was good that he was drunk and believed that he was just imagining her. She was dying to have someone to talk to.

"Whenever I think about it, it makes me think it's actually your fault."

"Hey, stop being cocky." Ghost Lin clicked her tongue, calming herself down as she couldn't do anything to him, anyway. 

"You loved me just a bit… and I hate you for that. Then, you hate me for hating it." He continued, ignoring the complaints from her. "Even so, I really wish you are real and with me right now so I can tell you about your garbage personality."

"One more word and I will take you to hell." Ghost Lin moved to him, her face hovering over him while he stared at her. 

He cupped her face, just following the outline of her since she had no physical body. "Take me, then."

"Gosh… you're so toxic." Ghost Lin scoffed, but she didn't move away from him. She could just slip away from him, but she stayed, staring down at him. "This is why we broke up. You keep undermining me, but then give me this look. Are you sick in the head or what?"

"I am. You ruined me, Devon." 

Ghost Lin gasped in disbelief. "You! You ruined me! Don't play the victim here."

"But it was true, Dev." His eyes softened, trying to caress her cheek with his thumb. "If you loved me just a little more, just a little more Dev… I wouldn't lose myself."

This time, Ghost Lin pursed her lips into a thin line, averting her eyes away. That was the problem. What he was asking… that 'just a little' was too much for her. 

"What you didn't understand is, what I've given you is my all," she murmured without looking at him. "That's all I had, and I gave them all to you, but it's just not enough for you. You're too greedy."

Quentin dropped his hand, and Ghost Lin just sat upright to his side. She looked at him while he stared at the ceiling once again.

"Really?" he wondered, blinking ever so slowly. "But why didn't you tell me that? If you told me, I might've understood."

"You should've known."

"I'm not a fortune teller. How do you expect me to know?" His tone grew lazy, followed by a chuckle. Even though he was a bit drunk, talking to an illusion was ridiculous. 

"You just have to know." Ghost Lin replied, bending her knees closer to her. "But I guess I should've told you instead of expecting you to just know. Still, that doesn't pardon you from doing that to me."

"You're right. I shouldn't have become overly possessive and trust you, instead." A deep sigh slipped past his lips. "If I was patient and trusted you with all my heart, will you stay?" 

"Who knows? We broke up."

Quentin let out a chuckle as her response was just like what the 'real Devon' would say. "Say… have you ever thought of marrying me?" he peeled his eyes away from the ceiling to her.

"Of course." Ghost Lin rested the side of her head on her knees, locking her gaze with him. 

"Will you marry me now if I asked you?" 

"Even if you ask me now, you can't marry me, duh?" she rolled her eyes as her answer right now wasn't important. 

"Why?"

"I'm dead!" Ghost Lin blurted out, making him frown.

"I didn't think of that response."

"What?" her nose scrunched up. "Have you been predicting what I will say all this time?!" 

She stared at him, and he nodded. Ghost Lin gasped in utter disbelief at this information.

"Don't joke like that, Dev. Don't make light of life and death." He sighed heavily, wanting to scold her, but held back. "I told you many times to drop that habit."

Quentin clicked his tongue. Devon had this habit of asking him depressing questions like: 'what will you do if I die?' or something like that. He never liked those types of questions. He didn't even want to imagine it. 

Thing was, Ghost Lin was saying the truth. However, she didn't want to argue with him, since it was pointless.

"Ken, what will you do if we meet again?" she asked to change the subject, knowing him, he would just nag. 

"Hmmm. I'd be happy."

"That's not my question." 

He took a deep breath and cast her a side-eye. "Well… I don't know. Smile, maybe?"

"You will just smile?" His response was an absolute disappointment for her.

"You always say I look good whenever I smile. Maybe you will talk to me if I smile first." 

"What kind of logic is that?" Her face distorted, clicking her tongue. Although deep down, Ghost Lin had this feeling she would fall for it if that happened before she became a ghost.

Quentin laughed lightly once again. "I will talk to you and apologize."

"You won't ask me if we can get back together?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, wanting to know if he wasn't leaving behind any shady motive.

This time, Quentin remained silent for a very long time. Of course, he wanted to ask her that question. However, there wasn't an excuse for what he had done to her. No matter how jealous he was in the past or how territorial he was, his burning love for her was not a justification to force himself on her.

"Do you really see me in that light, Dev?" when he broke his silence, he cocked his head to her. "I was a jerk, I know. But, do you really think I won't change?"

"Well, I don't know? It's not like changes only happen for the better. You can change, but it can be from bad to good or vice versa."

"But I'm good now." He shrugged, rolling to his side with his temple on his knuckles. Quentin then patted the space beside him, gesturing for her to lie down with him. 

"You won't do anything?" Ghost Lin raised a brow and chin.

"What can I do to an illusion?" his voice was laced with sarcasm, making her clicked her tongue in irritation.

"So, if I'm not an illusion, you will do something to me?"

"I said I'm a changed man." He frowned, staring at her before she let out a sharp exhale and collapsed beside her. Quentin smiled. This experience felt so real as if he was actually talking to the actual person. 

"Happy now?" Ghost Lin's expression was dead, while he was smiling in delight. 

"Yes, very happy." Quentin raised his hand and placed it on her forehead, tracing the bridge of her nose down to the tip of her nose. "Can you stay here tonight, Dev?"

"No freaking way." Again, Ghost Lin rolled her eyes, as she didn't hesitate to refuse his request. "Dude, stop poking my nose. I can't feel you, but it's annoying."

"I think I am born to annoy you." 

"Really?" the little expression on her face died completely. "I am a ghost, but honestly, I never felt so worked up like this even though I traveled the world twice now."

"Why do we always fight whenever our eyes meet? I've watched a few romance movies, and it only proves we're not normal."

"Romance movies or novels are all sci-fi, darling. They're impossible in real life." She sassed and rolled her eyes for the nth time.

"I guess so." He nodded in agreement, staring at her in the eye. "But, why?"

"What, why?"

"Why did we end up like that? I was talking about before I wronged you… how did our relationship had taken that route?" he asked as a bitter smile resurfaced on his lips. "It just… doesn't make sense to me, Dev. We were happy back then, but why did it end like that?"

There was another wave of silence between them. As mentioned, their relationship wasn't initially draining and toxic. So, he couldn't trace back when their relationship made an enormous turn because it just happened. 

"Because…" Ghost Lin trailed off as she sighed. "We were young back then, Ken. I don't believe in those, 'we're not meant for each other' or any of those sayings. I just blame that we're too young and we're not as matured as we thought we were."

And she was correct.

Honestly, Quentin's sin was just the last straw. Both of them could agree that what he had done wouldn't salvage their relationship. However, even before that, their relationship had been crumbling.

It was fragile — they were fragile.. They couldn't take the piled-up frustrations, misunderstanding, unresolved issues, their own personal issues, and that lead them to that sad ending.