Chapter 885: Lingering
"Julia?" Lu Ke was slightly surprised and stopped in his tracks. He didn't expect Julia to be here, not because he was surprised to see her, but because of the timing.
Julia had already gone to college in September, attending UCLA, following in the footsteps of Logan and Lu Ke. However, Logan got in on an athletic scholarship, while Julia and Lu Ke got in based on their grades.
The semester was in full swing, and it wasn't long until the finals. Julia should be in Los Angeles, not San Francisco.
Although he was a little surprised, Lu Ke gave a big smile to welcome her and walked toward her. "Are you back for a holiday? Or did your parents call you back? Does Logan know?"
Julia looked at Lu Ke's warm and friendly smile. She felt a little nervous, and her cheeks flushed, but years of familiarity helped her calm down. "I watched today's game. What a spectacular sight! I've never seen anything like it in the entire league. I now feel that the teams who passed on you must regret it even more."
"Ha, the 'Golden Sea' belongs to the Niners, not me. Even if those teams are envious, they should be envious of Candlestick Park," Lu Ke said. It wasn't humility. He was just telling the truth. His eyebrows raised slightly. "So, you watched today's game? This was Logan's game. He finally got his form back today. This should be his best performance in a while."
"Of course, of course," Julia nodded perfunctorily. Her eyes fell on Lu Ke's again. His short hair was not completely dry, and the wet droplets shimmered in the hazy light, reflecting in Lu Ke's inky black eyes like a sky full of stars. Julia couldn't help but smile again.
"He played well, but you played even better! That long pass at the beginning of the game completely caught the defense off guard. You must have been preparing for a long time for this game. The opponent's defense was completely under your control. The offense played very smoothly today."
Julia couldn't stop talking. She gestured excitedly, and Lu Ke couldn't find a chance to interrupt.
Lu Ke watched the animated Julia with a smile on his face. If he could, he wouldn't mind standing there and chatting with Julia for a while, but he couldn't today. He needed to go back to his apartment, and it was already much later than he had anticipated.
However, Lu Ke wasn't in a hurry. He listened patiently. It was only when Julia stopped talking that he chuckled and said, "You're a qualified Niner. Even Logan and I are ashamed. The next time you watch the game film, you're welcome to join us."
Julia felt a little anxious. That wasn't what she meant. She wasn't just a Niner. She was a fan of Lu Ke! All her passion came from Lu Ke. Why didn't this blockhead understand?
"No," Julia waved her hands. "That's not what I meant." Then she saw Lu Ke's eyes widen with a puzzled look. This made Julia even more anxious. She seemed to not be able to find the right words to describe her feelings. She started stomping her feet.
Lu Ke laughed happily at her childish behavior. "Don't be nervous. I'm not an outsider. I won't misunderstand you."
Instinctively, Lu Ke raised his right hand and patted Julia's head, just like the countless times they had been together before. But Julia seemed to be annoyed, like a clumsy little puppy. She kept dodging Lu Ke's right hand, twisting her head away, and even taking a half step back. "Don't do that. I'm not a child anymore."
"Ha," Lu Ke chuckled. "My apologies. My mistake."
Although Lu Ke apologized, his tone was still the same as when he was coaxing a child. This made Julia even more frustrated. "I told you, I'm not a child!"
Lu Ke pursed his lips and raised his hands in surrender. When arguing with a girl, it was a rule to keep silent at the right time. Otherwise, the situation would get worse.
Looking at Lu Ke surrendering, Julia was even angrier, but she didn't know how to express her thoughts accurately. In the end, she could only get angry at herself. "That's not what I meant!"
"Julia, I just want to say, enjoy the game. That's what's most important," Lu Ke said with a smile. He subconsciously looked at his right hand and then realized that he was still not used to wearing a watch. So, after the press conference, the Rolex was still in his gear bag.
But this action already said everything. He was concerned about the time.
"Now, I need to go back first. You know..." Lu Ke didn't even realize it himself. He cleared his throat. "I need to go back and review the playbook. I still have work to do tonight. You should go back early too, or your parents will start to worry." Lu Ke turned his head and looked to his right, searching for the lights of the Newmans' house, which were still on.
Before Lu Ke could walk away, Julia called out to him again, "Bambi."
Seeing Lu Ke stop, Julia panicked again. This time, she clenched her fists and started to cheer herself on. You can do it, you can! Julia, you can!
"Bambi," Julia looked up at Lu Ke with a determined gaze. "I like you."
She said it. She finally said it. Every cell in Julia's body started cheering. The panic slowly disappeared, and her eyes started to light up little by little.
Lu Ke still didn't get it. This "like" was the same kind of like as a friend's sister. He thought it was directly related to today's game. He laughed happily. "Yes, I like you too."
Julia was stunned. Before her joy could surface, she felt Lu Ke's calm and friendly eyes, which were no different from before. She immediately understood. "No, no, no, not that kind of like, but the other kind of like."
"What?" Lu Ke didn't say anything, but his eyes were full of confusion. He frowned and looked at Julia with a puzzled look.
Julia took a deep breath and said with courage and determination, "I love you."
"..." Lu Ke was speechless. He was completely dumbfounded. Was this the same thing he had just told his parents?
"I love you," Julia said again with determination. "I've liked you for a long, long time. I was sure of my feelings when you took me to the prom last year. It wasn't just a simple liking, but love, true love. I love the way you're so dedicated to training. I love your unfunny jokes. I love the way you never give up when you face difficulties on the field. I really, really like you."
Lu Ke's mouth was slightly agape in surprise. The first thing that came to his mind was, Is it the same kind of "like" as Logan's?
But gradually, Lu Ke realized that Julia wasn't joking. She was more serious and focused than ever before. This made Lu Ke put away his surprise and awkwardness and take Julia seriously.
It was only after Julia finished speaking that Lu Ke gave a serious response. "Julia, thank you..."
"Wait, wait," Julia heard only the beginning and immediately had a bad feeling. She quickly raised her hand to stop Lu Ke. "It's too fast. Your answer is too fast. Think about it, think about it again. I'm serious! Really. You don't have to worry about Logan. Remember, I'm not Logan's sister. I'm Julia Newman! And you are Lu Ke! That's all there is to it."
The urgency and desperation in Julia's words made Lu Ke feel a little unwilling to hurt her.
He knew that his response would be too cruel and was definitely not the answer Julia was expecting. But he also knew that if he dragged it out, it would be unfair to everyone: Julia, Logan, and the Newmans. The Lus and the Newmans had been friends for many years. No matter what happened today, they would still be friends. He didn't want to leave any more hidden dangers.
Cutting the knot was the best way to respond.
Even though it was brutal, cruel, and heartless, it was better to have a short pain than a long one. Procrastination would only make things worse.
Lu Ke let out a light sigh and didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at Julia with focus. He looked at her calmly, without hiding anything. The certainty in his eyes told Julia that he was serious and that every word he was about to say was sincere and well-thought-out.
It was only when Julia was no longer anxious and her emotions had calmed down that Lu Ke spoke. "Julia, thank you for liking me, but I already have someone I like, and we are already together..."
Before he could finish, Julia raised her hands again and covered her ears. She kept shaking her head and looked at Lu Ke with a desperate expression. Her watery eyes were turning red little by little. This made Lu Ke stop his words on his tongue.
But a bandage can't be ripped off halfway. It has to be done in one go.
"Julia, I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings. I can only thank you, but I can't waste your time. You are Logan's sister. You were before, you are now, and you will be in the future..." Lu Ke tried his best not to make excuses. Instead, he resolutely cut off all hope. It was cruel and not easy, but it was what he had to do.
Julia kept shaking her head and lowered it in pain, as if she was constantly denying reality.
The simplest and most cruel moment had arrived. Lu Ke cut off the last bit of connection. "Julia, I'm sorry."
The night was deep, and the dim lights outlined the bitterness of first love.
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