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Chapter 8

Alina's POV

I watched the man leave with his friends, he was a stranger, I had never seen him before. After I finished watching the strange man who was getting further away, I glanced back at another novel, afraid there would be something more interesting than the one I was holding. But it didn't seem like there was anything interesting anymore, so I walked over to buy the book. After I bought the book, I chose to go home even though I actually felt bored always being at home. But before I wanted to order a taxi, suddenly a car approached me and the car didn't look like Mark's car. Slowly, the car window opened, revealing a familiar face in my memory.

“Ryan? Are you following me?” I asked after seeing that face.

“No, who said? I finished buying books too." His opponent.

"I don't want to go home with you." I said frankly.

“I didn't hear, come in! As long as Mark isn't around, this is important and don't be childish." He said while looking at me.

"Why should I obey your words?"

Ryan seemed to sigh, "I promise after this meeting I won't bother you again. We will discuss the solution until the end." he said.

I looked at Ryan skeptically. Somehow, it was hard to believe his words, but there was something in his tone that made me hesitate to refuse outright. Finally, with a heavy heart, I opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat next to him.

We were both silent for a moment, only the sound of the car engine filled the silence. Ryan started driving his car slowly, leaving the bookstore area behind us.

“What is so important that you have to see me now?” I asked, trying to stay calm.

Ryan remained focused on the road ahead, “I want us to find the middle point. This situation has been hanging around for too long without resolution.”

I rolled my eyes, “What do you mean by ‘situation’? We don’t even have anything to talk about anymore, Ryan.”

He sighed softly, looking frustrated, “Alina, we can't go on like this. There are a lot of unfinished things between us.”

"And you think with one meeting we can solve everything?" I asked sarcastically.

He stared at me for a moment before looking back at the road, “I hope so. At least we can try.”

I paused, thinking about his words. Maybe it's a good idea for us to settle things once and for all. But, there's also a part of me that feels tired of all this drama. The car finally stopped in a quiet park. Ryan shut off the engine and turned to face me.

"Look, I know you feel uncomfortable every time I try to get close, but I promise this will be the last time as long as you want to have an induced abortion if in the future there are signs of pregnancy because I myself don't remember where I took it out."

His words hit me like a hammer. I was silent, trying to understand what he had just said. "You... what?" I asked, my voice shaking between anger and disbelief.

"I just want to make sure the two of us don't get tied up by any unwanted mistakes," he said, trying to sound calm. "Induced abortion is expensive, but it's the only way to prevent you from getting pregnant and ruining both of our reputations."

I felt a wave of anger and disappointment wash over me. "You're really shameless, huh? You think I'll do that just because you're worried about our reputation? This is my body, my life, and you have no right to force me to do anything!"

Ryan visibly flinched at the harshness of my voice, but he sat still, gathering his words. "Alina, I'm just trying to avoid bigger problems. We both know we're not ready for this."

I shook my head, angry and sad. "The bigger problem is you trying to control my life. This isn't about us or about being ready or not ready. This is about me and what I want for my life."

He fell silent, perhaps for the first time truly listening. "I didn't mean to make you feel this way," he said finally. "I'm just... I'm just scared."

"Afraid of what?" I asked, feeling a little relieved that he was finally showing his human side.

“Afraid that we will make the wrong decision, that we will regret it forever,” he said, his voice trailing off. "And also about what other people will think about us."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Ryan, I'm scared too. But making me make such a big decision just because you're scared is not fair. We should be able to talk and decide together, without coercion.”

He lowered his head, looking apologetic. "You're right. I'm sorry, Alina. I just... I don't know what to do."

I nodded, feeling a little relieved at those words. "Let's start by talking. No pressure, no demands. Just talking."

Ryan nodded, and for the first time that night, I felt hope that maybe, just maybe, we could find a better middle ground. We sat there, in the quiet car in the quiet park, starting to have heart-to-hearts, trying to find a fair resolution for both of us. I know it won't be easy, but I hope this is at least the first step towards a better understanding between us.

After talking for a while, I began to understand his fears and worries. Even though it was hard, I realized that maybe this decision was the best for both of us in this situation. Finally, I nodded slowly, accepting the reality I had to face.

“Okay, Ryan,” I said in a voice barely above a whisper. “I'm going to have an induced abortion. But this is not because of your pressure, but because I myself am not prepared to face this possibility.”

Ryan looked at me with a mixture of relief and sadness. “Thank you, Alina. I really respect your decision. I will cover all the costs and make sure everything runs safely.”

I nodded slowly, feeling a little relieved that he was at least willing to take responsibility for his decision. “Okay, we'll do this together. But after that, I need time for myself. We have to give each other space to think and heal.”

Ryan nodded in agreement. "I understand. Thank you, Alina. I will always be here if you need help.”

We sat in silence, letting the big decision hang between us, but at least, for the first time, we felt there was clarity and a step forward.

After talking at length, I felt a weight lifted slightly from my chest. We were still sitting in the car parked in a quiet park. Without realizing it, my gaze fell on a small child who was eating ice cream greedily. The child looked so happy, laughing carefree while licking his ice cream which was starting to melt in the sun.

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