Luna

Everything was so quiet after the incident earlier. Colton and I were back inside my apartment. I remembered how happy we were when we hung the painting in the living room earlier that evening, and suddenly, it was gone and replaced with heavy tension.

I sat at the edge of the couch and my eyes focused on Colton, who remained standing in the middle of the room. Despite the bruises on his cheek and cut on his lip, he still looked very handsome as ever.

He remained silent. His face looked very sorry and embarrassed.

"Just tell me the truth, Colton. Did you hire Venus to seduce Barry?"

He took a deep breath. His shoulders slumped and couldn't look straight in my eye.

Immediately, I felt crushed. I didn't have to hear his answer anymore. The truth was too obvious.

My heart suddenly shattered into a million pieces. The pain and disappointment were so strong, crushing me completely. I couldn't believe Colton, whom I loved most, betrayed me.

"Luna," he said, his voice trembling a little. "I'm so sorry, I messed up."

I swallowed a sob in my throat and forced myself to speak. "Tell me everything."

He exhaled heavily before he explained. "Cox's been a player ever since in college, and I figured he'd eventually cheat on you. I must expose him before you'd end up marrying him. He's a terrible guy. Your life will be in hell if you end up with him. So, I hired Venus, paid her a hundred thousand bucks, to seduce him. It was a test, and he fell for it."

I clenched my fist, trying to control my emotions. "Those caught on CCTV, you planned them all."

He nodded. His face flushed with guilt. "Yes. I wanted to save you from getting hurt."

I looked at him and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Save me? You call this saving, Colton? You lied and manipulated me, just like Barry did. How could you? You wanted to protect me, and yet you hurt me."

Colton reached out to me, but I stepped back.

"Yeah, I messed up, but I swear, I didn't intend to hurt you. In fact, the opposite. I couldn't do that to you, Luna. I love you so much. Ever since in college. When I said I love you back then, it was true."

I shook my head, feeling hit with a ton of betrayal. I was furious and disappointed, finding his words meaningless.

"You lied to me. I wouldn't have known if Barry didn't tell me the truth."

"I intend to tell you, I swear, Luna. I was just waiting for the right time."

"When?" Hot tears flowed in my cheeks. "You're no better than Barry. You're both users and manipulators. I can't believe I fell hard on you. I really thought you were different. You deceived me."

Colton looked at me with anguish in his eyes.

"Luna," he pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. "I'm not like Cox. I did it because of my love for you. I know, I should have done it differently..."

"You missed the point. You should have told me from the start, I would have understood. But we've been together for six months already and you kept this from me."

"I'm so sorry. Please, Luna. Let me make up with you."

I couldn't breathe well. My heart was filled with anger and sadness.

"How can I trust you ever again? You lied to me. You had me believe in you, in us, but it was all just lies."

"It was the only thing I lied to you, I swear. Everything we had was real."

I shook my head, not believing a word he said. Everything came back flooding in, starting from Barry's betrayal and now Colton's.

Colton knew I had enough. His eyes pleaded for forgiveness, but I was closing the door. In desperation, he grabbed my hand and dropped to his knees.

I gasped when he hugged my waist tightly, pressing his head into my stomach.

"Luna, I love you so much. Let's not leave things like these between us."

A sob escaped on my throat. "I can't. I'm done with these lies and betrayals. It's happening again and again."

"Please Luna," he pleaded, tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm begging you. Don't shut me out. I can't bear losing you."

I decided. I pulled away from him, standing out of his reach.

"Please leave now, Colton. I can't be with you anymore. We're over."

His shoulders slumped, looking defeated. He stayed where he was, kneeling on the floor, facing me.

"If you call it off, you'll never know how deeply I love you. Let's not give up on what we have."

I was determined to stick with my decision. I walked to the door and opened it.

"I'm not interested in finding out anymore. You ruined it when you betrayed my trust in you. Please, just leave."

He stood up slowly, his eyes filled with sadness.

"Okay, I'll leave. But always remember, Luna. I'll always love you. I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes. I'm going to prove to you I'm not the person you think I am."

I couldn't bear seeing the pain in his eyes. I turned away and closed my eyes.

"Goodbye, Colton." I said with a heavy heart.

I heard him walk out of the door. I turned and saw him down the steps of the patio. The moment I closed the door, all kinds of emotions washed over me. Tears fell on my cheeks as I sobbed uncontrollably. I sank to the floor and hugged my knees tightly, feeling the weight of the betrayal and heartbreak consumed me.

Colton

I left Luna's apartment feeling so empty. I held the steering wheel of my car until my knuckles turned white from my forceful grip. The tears in my eyes blurring my vision as I drove around the crowded streets of Manhattan.

It was my fault that I lost Luna's trust in me. I shouldn't have kept things from her.

"Oh, God. I love her so much. I don't want to lose her."

I couldn't keep my mind off Luna's expression. Her eyes were all teary and her face full of disappointment. Though she tried to keep her voice calm, I could tell that she was angry.

It felt like dying when she told me we were over and I had to leave. My heart burst with sadness, shattering into a million pieces. I've never felt so miserable in my whole life.

While driving and thought of the phases of our relationship. We started hating each other in college, avoided bumping into each other as much as possible on family occasions, then we became friends and fell in love. The attraction was there from the very beginning, no doubt about that.

Luna was like no other woman I've ever met. She's stunning, strong, confident, intelligent, kind and with a heart of gold. And I totally ruined everything and lose her.

The twinkling lights in the city disappeared, but I continued driving until I ended up on the edge of town. No other vehicles were running on the road anymore. It was completely empty, just like how I felt inside. I pulled over. I couldn't drive any longer. My heart felt so heavy, and my tears kept pouring out.

"Sorry, Luna. I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear. Losing you was the last thing I've ever wanted." I whispered in the car's silence.

But I lost her. I shattered the love, trust, and loyalty that we had.

"Damn it!" I shouted in anger, slamming my fist on the dashboard. "I'm such an idiot! If I told her from the very beginning of our relationship, this shouldn't have happened."

Regret and longing overwhelmed me.

I love her so much. She's not just someone I care about, but she's my entire world. Life is meaningless without her.

Night dragged on and I continued driving until I got exhausted. I parked in a deserted area and turned off the engine. I leaned back my head to relax, then wiped my tears. It was so quiet. I could only hear my breathing and my occasional sniffles.

"I love her. I love her so much!" I said out loud, hoping it could magically bring back Luna to me.

The sun rose, giving the landscape view a pleasant glow. As I stared at it, I felt the weight of the night getting lighter on my shoulders.

"I have to fix this," I said to myself. "I got to make things right with Luna."

Full of hope and determination, I started the car and drove back to the city. I thought of Luna, her smile, her laughter, our plans, how we'd like to travel in Asia, and how she inspired me to be the best version of myself. I couldn't lose it all.

Luna is worth fighting for. I'll show her I'm worth getting a second chance.

"Luna, I'm coming back for you." I whispered, as if she could hear me.