But the following words that Celeste said felt like a splash of cold water, quickly extinguishing his hope that had just been ignited.

"Of course I care about you. Even if we aren't lovers anymore, you're still Aunt Smith and Uncle Jones' son. Besides, we're classmates. We're probably going to meet again in the future, so you should take care of yourself."

Gary's face sank in an instant. At this point, he felt like he was basically asking for it. Who could he blame?

Gary was left speechless. He had no choice but to keep his head down and eat quietly. There are no words to describe the stiffness in his chest.

Celeste tried her best to finish up her food. Although she felt like throwing up several times, she ate earnestly.

She ate her meal along with a few other dishes. Celeste proceeded to put down her utensils and said, "I really can't eat anymore. I'll go and rest."

After saying that, Celeste placed her utensils to the side and headed towards the stairs.

Gary parted his lips but didn't utter a word.

Celeste returned to her bedroom and sank into her bed, the mattress engulfed her petite body.

Gary entered the bedroom to see her on the bed. Had he not taken a closer look, he wouldn't have noticed her lying there.

His heart ached for her who had been getting thinner.

His eyes were filled with pain and concern.

Gary watched her from the door for a little while. Upon seeing her pale and slender legs sticking out from the, he walked over to tuck her in. When he looked down, her long eyelashes twitched slightly. He sat at the foot of the bed, his eyes never leaving her. After which, he extended his hand and gently caressed her pale face.

Celeste couldn't take it anymore. She opened her eyes to look at him.

They stared at each other, eyes filled with agony.

Gary was about to say something when she suddenly jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

Gary was shocked. He hadn't expected that.

Suddenly, he heard her retching from inside the bathroom.

Celeste was vomiting.

Gary panicked. He quickly got up and headed to the bathroom to find Celeste kneeling before the toilet seat.

His expression turned cold and his eyes filled with anguish. As he walked towards her, Celeste's gag reflex betrayed her as she emptied her stomach's content, all while facing Gary, who was standing by the sink.

Gary rushed over to her side and patted her back comfortingly.

Celeste had hurled out an ungodly amount of vomit. She gripped the toilet seat with one hand and used the other to reach for the handle. With that, all her stomach's contents slowly drained into the toilet bowl. "Don't pat my back. I still feel nauseous," Celeste murmured as she reached out to stop him.

Gary's eyes turned red with panic. "I'll take you to the hospital."

"Can't you tell?" Celeste whispered, "I'm in so much pain, I really don't want to have any sort of contact with you."

Gary was stunned.

Celeste closed her eyes and said softly, "I don't think I'd be in such pain if you weren't here. Would you please leave, Gary?"

He stood rooted to the ground. His eyes were bloodshot red.

"A week, give me another week," Gary said painfully. "Just be patient for a while. In a week, after your body recovers, I won't bother you anymore."

It was his painful decision that left Celeste stumped.

In the end, neither of them said anything, and the atmosphere quieted down.

She washed her face.

After a brief pause, Gary went downstairs to fetch a glass of warm water for her.

Neither of them spoke to each other.

The situation was quite awkward.

He looked at her for a moment with his serious eyes, and whispered, "If you won't go to the hospital, we'll try to eat something again later."

"I refuse to go." She shook her head.

Celeste was against the idea of seeing a doctor, and this made Gary very anxious. Finally, after another failure of a meal, Gary couldn't help but say, "You know, it seems like you might have an eating disorder. Celeste was stunned. She somewhat agreed with him.

She was indeed in pretty bad shape. She didn't want to eat, and would vomit after every meal.

"I think I could potentially be a trigger or the root cause of your illness." Gary stared at her and continued cautiously, "Celeste, let's have a heart-to-heart talk."

Celeste stared at him, astonished.

Did eating disorders work like this?

She remained silent for quite some time as if trying to make sense of what he said.

Gary slightly raised his chin and took a deep breath, his gaze fell upon her.

His sharp gaze would stir the hearts of many. He voiced out, "If you really hate me that much and you don't wish to see me, then I'll leave, I won't disturb you anymore. Perhaps, in the past, I felt like everything was under my control, and I overestimated myself. But now, I am just tired and helpless. If I am the cause of your suffering, it would be better for me to leave, so you don't have to deal with it anymore."

"I'll leave in a week's time. Perhaps our last week together will make me feel at ease. Celeste, please get well soon."

"I can promise you anything, but I can't feel at ease if I leave you alone right now. Do you understand where I'm coming from? I'm not trying to control you, I just can't let go of you while you're like this." "Live a good life, then I can let go of you. I'll never interfere again. Please feel better soon. Don't burden yourself. I won't pester you ever again. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Gary didn't know if his words could bring any sort of comfort to her, but he knew that if he didn't do anything, it would be difficult for her to bear the weight of it.

The miscarriage was a huge blow to both of them, but Gary understood that she had a much harder time coping.

As a man, it was just a small moment of sorrow. But for a woman, it was both physically and emotionally draining. He really was selfish.

As expected, it seemed that Celeste actually recovered after they had that conversation. She no longer threw up.

She ate quietly and started eating more.

She stopped throwing up after her third meal.

The both of them were quite calm around each other. Perhaps because this might be the last few days they'd have together, so they cherished it. They didn't quarrel with each other, nor did they say anything. In the evening, Gary took the initiative to sleep in a separate sleeping bag next door. He didn't want to disturb her rest.

He probably didn't want her to be troubled by this, so he took the initiative to do so.

Celeste was quiet. She was finally at peace but her heart felt hollow.

A week quickly passed by.

Celeste's complexion improved, the color finally returned to her cheeks.

She used up all the time that she originally wanted to spend in Boston that week. She had stopped bleeding, and felt that it was time to go back to school.

That night, she hesitated for a while before informing Gary, "I'm feeling much better now. I'm no longer bleeding, and my vacation is over. I should head back to school, you should prepare yourself to leave for Boston as well. After all, we need to prioritize our studies. We're eventually going to our own separate ways soon."

Gary smiled when he saw how calm she was. However, his smile was riddled with unparalleled loneliness. "That's right. I feel reassured after seeing you like this. I know that you are a strong girl and that you can do it."

Celeste nodded and smiled back at him.

Gary couldn't describe the bubbling feeling in his chest. He felt an unexplainable impulse and couldn't control his emotions. He said softly, "Celeste, won't you even consider being with me?" Upon hearing this, Celeste suddenly became nervous.

Truthfully, her eyes were flustered. She shook her head affirmingly. "You promised me that you wouldn't bother me after a whole week. You can't break your promise."

It seemed like Celeste still persisted in the idea of them breaking up. Gary stared at her for a while before he finally understood the situation: he couldn't salvage it anymore. Celeste had already decided not to be with him. Gary carefully recalled their entire journey together.

He didn't pry any further and stared at her with his deep eyes. He seemed to understand that it was very distressing to be pressured by others. His heart felt a little bitter.

He nodded, looking at Celeste, and said rather emotionally, "Well, since you've made up your mind, I'll respect your decision. It's settled then. I'll return to Boston tomorrow morning."

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