The knock came harder now than the previous ones.
I stared at Ivy and Emile but they both gave me that look. They weren't expecting any one either.
I summoned courage and walked up to the door.
Even if it was James, it won't really be that bad.
I took in a quick breath and released it.
I flung open the door and found out it was the least person on my mind. Ethan.
I held tight the door knob and tried to close the door but he wouldn't let me.
"Hey, Clara please I need to talk to you, please." He said.
I turned to look back at Ivy and Emile, they slightly nodded their heads and I then stepped out of the room.
I shut the door behind me and leaned against it.
He stood right in front of me staring down at his hands.
He smelt of the same cologne I once found comfort in but now I didn't even want it around me.
I scoffed. "Why am I here?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"I love you, Clara," he began, shifting his gaze from his hand to me. I sniffed and folded my hand on my chest.
"And I don't hurt those who I love." He continued.
His gaze fell on my face. Probably waiting for the effect of his words. But I'm glad he got none.
"That video," he said, gesturing with his hands.
"Was a lie, I wasn't with Samantha that night, the video was forged." He mouthed.
A smirk appeared on my face as I shifted my gaze away from him.
Did he just say the video was forged? How on earth would a criminal call an evidence fake?
"Is that all?" I said, looking back at him.
"I know you don't believe me, Clara. But that's the truth." He voiced out.
I slightly chuckled. This was the height of it. Ethan just called a lie the truth.
"Enough, Ethan. Oooh come on, there is no truth anywhere. You slept with her. What's so hard about accepting that? At least that was what you always wanted." I muttered.
"No! Never! Not me, Clara! I don't want Samantha, I don't. When she first came here, she was all over me. I didn't know why, maybe because I was cute or the honour I was given in our department." He paused, staring hard at my face.
I stared back without blinking, changing my position.
"And then she finally met with me in a restaurant outside campus. There, she told me a lot about you, she told me that you took her man away from her, that your dad hates you because you are evil. She told me a freaking lot of things. I got perplexed, frustrated and confused but the truth was no matter how I tried your love continued to expand in my heart, surpassing the building crush and words from Samantha. J don't love her, I love you Clara." He narrated, his voice changing from that sharp masculine one to an innocent loving one.
"Please, you need to believe me, Clara." He concluded.
I shut tight my eye lids and opened it. Samantha? Did she do all of this?
"I planned it." I voiced out, perhaps he just needed to know all the truth once and for all.
"What? He asked.
"I booked the same room for you and Samantha. I sent a letter to Samantha like it was from you. I told her to meet you in that room. Of course, she thought her time had come and she always wanted to spend time with you." I said.
"But why? I thought you said you booked the room for both of us." He responded.
"Yes, what other excuse do you have for me to say?" I said.
"But you got upset with the forged video." He said.
"No, I wasn't upset because of the video. I was annoyed and vowed for revenge because it leaked. It leaked out to so many people I'd hate to associate myself with." I explained.
I heard muffling sounds from behind the door.
Ivy and Emile were certainly listening to our conversation.
"But why? Why on earth would you do that?" He asked.
"Because you changed." I dropped my hands.
My words were getting to me more than they should right now.
"How?" He asked.
"You stopped everything. Stopped checking up on me as usual, stopped answering my messages and even ignored me in class." I mouthed.
"No I didn't change, Clara. I had family issues." He replied.
I swallowed back the hot tears that were trying to show up . "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.
"Because I didn't want to drag you into my family stuff." He said.
"Why?" I asked, tears choking me up.
"I..I..I..didn't want to drag someone I deeply loved into a problem I wasn't sure had a solution." He concluded.
And that was when I noticed it, tears were dripping down his cheeks. He was crying because of me.
Hot tears prickled at the corner of my eyes.
I sniffed in and covered my face with my hands.
I wasn't going to cry. Not here. Not in his presence.
"Clara." This time I felt his cold hands on mine.
He held my hands and cleaned up the tears on my face with his.
"I just need you to answer this question, Clara." He said.
"What?" I responded in between tears.
"I want to know if...you still love me?"