Seven Days of Us
It wasn’t until he left me for someone else and returned expecting forgiveness that a quiet boy stepped in.
“She said let go. Didn’t you hear?”
A punch landed. Watching Drew on the ground felt like waking from a nightmare.
I finally saw: while I was stuck in that toxic cycle, he’d been there all along—defending me at contests, waiting quietly at my work, taking me home safely when I was drunk.
I thought he was out of reach.
I never knew that on a feverish night after his accident, he’d murmur in his sleep: “Emily… could you not hate me so much?”
That’s when I understood: real love isn’t a cage of rules. It’s someone stepping in front of you, shielding you from the world’s cruelty.
1
I was just drifting off to sleep when my phone buzzed.
It was a message from an unknown number.
I opened it. There was only a single photo.
A picture of two hands, tightly intertwined.
I recognized one of them instantly as Drew’s.
The other, clearly, belonged to Mia.
Their fingers were laced together like vines that had grown into one another. It was the exact same way they held hands in their childhood photos.
The message read: “Hey, do you really think a newcomer stands a chance against a childhood sweetheart?”
I stared at the screen, my face blank, for a few seconds. I didn't reply. I just saved a screenshot, then blocked the number permanently.
Later that night, his best friend sent me another screenshot. It was a new post from Drew’s social media.
“The little girl next door is all grown up.”
The caption came with two pictures, spanning nearly two decades.
One was an old photo of him and Mia as children, holding hands, their smiles innocent and bright.
The other was a recent shot of them together. They weren't holding hands, but the way they looked at each other was filled with the same warm affection.
Mia had left a playful comment: “Am I cuter now than I was back then? ;)”
Drew had replied: “Still a little piglet who loves to eat. You haven’t changed a bit.”
His friend added a message of his own: “See? I told you, he really just sees her as a little sister.”
“He only posted this to clear the air, so people wouldn’t get the wrong idea.”
I didn’t write back. I just let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
Drew wasn’t explaining anything to me.
He was just doing damage control for Mia, proving to the world that she wasn’t a homewrecker.
After I washed up and dried my hair, my eyes fell on the box of photos I kept with Drew.
I pulled the album from the back of my drawer and gathered them all together.
I decided I would find a place tomorrow and destroy every last one of them.
2
It all started on a sweltering summer day, but Drew’s expression was as cold as ice.
His handsome face was a frozen mask of impatience, his eyes filled with weariness.
“I’ve told you a thousand times, Mia is just a friend I grew up with.”
“In my eyes, she’s just a little sister. I’m just used to looking out for her.”
“Can you, for once, not be so dramatic and jealous? It’s exhausting.”
I didn’t argue.
I didn’t burst into tears like I used to, the drops falling like broken pearls.
And I certainly didn’t rush to explain or defend myself.
I just felt a profound sense of futility, as if this argument was a wheel we were doomed to spin on forever.
Seeing me silent, my head bowed, Drew’s tone suddenly softened. “Alright, alright.”
“I know you get jealous easily. I’ll try to contact her less from now on, okay?”
The bitterness in my heart overflowed like a breached dam.
I couldn’t hide it anymore. My eyes reddened.
Maybe he was right. Maybe their bond was purely platonic.
Just like he’d insisted, time and time again.
If he was really interested in Mia, why would he have pursued me in the first place?
But then, Drew’s tone shifted again. “But you have to promise me something, too.”
“Because of your jealousy, people were calling Mia a homewrecker to her face.”
“You understand how damaging that is to an innocent girl, right?”
The buzzing of the cicadas outside seemed to amplify a thousand times.
My heart plummeted.
I looked at the face before me, so familiar yet so strange, and felt like I didn't know him at all.
“What do you want from me?”
“You should find a chance to publicly clear up the misunderstanding for her.”
“She was crying her eyes out over it just yesterday…”
“No,” I cut him off, my voice sharp.
Drew froze, then anger flared in his eyes.
“What did you just say?”
“I said, no. That’s impossible.” My nails dug into my palms, but my voice held steady.
“Fine,” Drew said, a cold smile touching his lips.
He pulled out his phone and, with a few swift taps, deleted and blocked my number.
“Emily,” he said, his gaze locking onto mine. It was the peak of summer, but his eyes were chilling.
“Don’t you come begging me to take you back.”
3
The next morning, I went straight to the local incinerator.
I fed every photo, every letter, and every gift Drew had ever given me to the flames.
As I watched our past turn to ash, I went to the school administration office and officially changed my university preference.
Only when everything was settled did I open my social media again.
My best friend had sent me the location for that night’s party.
After graduation, the parties had been non-stop, a frantic celebration of freedom.
The venues were always the same old places.
I had barely stepped through the door when I ran into Drew’s crew.
The moment they saw me, their faces lit up with mischief.
“Emily! You’re here for Drew, right?”
“Perfect timing, he just got here. He’s waiting for you inside.”
“I told you! That seven-day rule is a joke. You couldn’t even last one day.”
“Drew’s the man. One word from him and he’s got you completely wrapped around his finger.”
“I’m not here to see him.”
I frowned, a wave of disgust washing over me.
I was so tired of hearing things like this.
But this time, it felt unbearable.
“Oh, come on, Emily, don’t play coy. We all know…”
I couldn't be bothered to argue. I turned to leave.
Their taunts stopped, replaced by confusion. “Are you really leaving?”
“She’s just trying to act tough. Ten bucks says she’ll be back tomorrow, begging him to take her back.”
I let out a cold laugh and glanced back at them.
“Don’t hold your breath.”
4
Drew watched his friends walk in, his eyes instinctively scanning the space behind them.
His expression darkened.
He had distinctly heard someone mention Emily’s name, but she was nowhere in sight.
A strange irritation began to bubble up inside him.
He thought Emily had been completely unreasonable lately.
Starting fight after fight, and all because of Mia.
Couldn’t she understand? He and Mia had known each other since they were toddlers.
If he’d ever had feelings for Mia, would Emily have even had a chance?
As he stewed, his phone vibrated.
Drew snatched it up and swiped the screen open.
A new message.
A small smile played on his lips.
It had to be a friend request from Emily.
But the name on the screen was Mia. “Drew, can you come pick me up?”
A flash of annoyance crossed his face. “It’s not that far, why do you need a ride?”
“I hurt my leg.”
Mia immediately sent a picture.
Blood was trickling down her shin. The cut looked deep.
But what caught Drew’s eye was a sliver of a blue skirt in the corner of the photo.
If he wasn't mistaken, that was Emily’s skirt.
He recognized it.
Almost by reflex, he shot to his feet and strode toward the exit.
5
“Drew, it hurts so much…”
The moment Mia saw Drew rushing toward her, her face crumpled and she started to sob.
“What happened?”
Drew knelt to examine the wound on her leg.
“It looks like it’s just a surface wound. You won’t need stitches.”
He let out a breath of relief and comforted her for a few moments.
Only when her sobs had subsided into sniffles did he turn his cold gaze on me. “You did this to her, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know how many times I have to say it.”
“Mia is just my sister.”
“You can’t even tolerate this?”
“Drew…”
Mia gently tugged on his sleeve.
“You’ve misunderstood. I… I just tripped. It had nothing to do with Emily…”
She said it in a tiny, careful voice, her eyes filled with tears, her whole body shrinking as if in fear.
Anyone watching would have thought she was lying to protect herself from further harm.
And I, Emily, was the villain who had hurt her in secret.
“What are you afraid of her for?”
Drew helped Mia to her feet.
She winced, sucking in a sharp breath as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
Drew instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. “Lean on me. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“But what about Emily?”
Drew’s eyes, cold as ice, landed on me. “Emily, apologize to Mia, and we’ll call it even.”
I was so furious I had to laugh. “Why don’t we call the police? Let them check the security cameras and find out what really happened.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I’ve known Mia for years. She never lies.”
His gaze was like frost on my skin.
“But you’re different, Emily. You have a history of hiding things. You lie.”
6
Drew was referring to our third silent treatment.
After that argument, he had deleted and blocked me before storming off.
We were out of town for a Math Olympiad, in a city I didn’t know.
After he abandoned me, I had to find a taxi back to the hotel by myself.
But I was quickly surrounded by a group of sketchy-looking drivers from an unlicensed cab service.
Just as panic set in, a boy from the same competition stepped in and got me out of the situation.
He personally walked me all the way back to the hotel to make sure I was safe.
Drew had always been intensely possessive about my interactions with other guys.
He’d get moody if I even exchanged a few pleasantries with someone.
So, I didn’t tell him about the incident.
But at the award ceremony, the boy, whose name was Julian, came over to congratulate me on winning.
The color drained from Drew’s face.
I had no choice but to explain what had happened.
On the surface, he seemed to accept it, acting as if it were no big deal.
But ever since, he’d brought it up in every single fight.
He’d call me a liar, someone who couldn’t be trusted.
I used to be devastated by it, desperately trying to explain, begging for his forgiveness.
Now, hearing him bring it up again, it was just… pathetic.
Was it that he truly didn’t trust me, or was it that, deep down, he always favored Mia?
But I no longer had the energy to defend myself.
“Think whatever you want.”
I turned and walked away.
But Drew called out again. “Emily…”
I didn’t look back.
From behind me, I heard Mia’s whimper. “Drew, it’s bleeding again. It really hurts…”
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“Okay. I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”
“Can you walk?”
“I… I don’t think so.”
“Then I’ll carry you.”
“Won’t that be… awkward?”
“It’s an emergency. Stop talking nonsense.”
“Drew, you’re so good to me.”
“I remember you used to carry me on your back like this when we were little.”
“I feel like I owe you so much.”
Their voices faded into the distance, swallowed by the buzz of the cicadas and the thick summer heat.
I slowly came to a stop.
It felt like a jagged hole had been torn open in my chest, a slow bleed soaking my entire heart.
First love always burns the brightest.
You can’t just extinguish it in an instant.
But at least now, I knew I would never shed another tear for Drew.
My phone vibrated again.
Another message from a new unknown number.
“The childhood sweetheart always wins. You’ve already lost.”
7
From that day on, Drew and Mia were inseparable.
Mia’s social media became a constant stream of their time together, a public performance of their budding romance.
My best friend even found her secret blog, filled with gushing posts about her crush.
It was surprisingly popular, with thousands of comments encouraging her to confess her feelings.
Mia had pinned a post to the top of the page: “I’m going to tell him how I feel in three days. Wish me luck!”
Three days from then was the end of the seven-day deadline Drew had set for me.
He had made it clear, countless times, that seven days of silence was an automatic breakup.
For the past year, that threat had hung over my head like the sword of Damocles.
I’ve always been a one-track-mind kind of girl.
When I love someone, I love them completely.
Drew was my first love.
He was the one who helped me through the fallout of my parents’ divorce.
He was the one who pulled me through the stress of our final year of high school.
I cherished what we had, and so I was always the one to bow my head, to compromise, to beg for reconciliation.
But I had forgotten a simple truth:
When you place yourself in a position of weakness, they will inevitably start to see you as less.
I left every group chat I shared with Drew.
I deleted all of his friends from my contacts.
I made a point to avoid any place he might be.
No one, except the school counselor and my best friend, knew that I had changed my university choice.
The seven-day deadline was fast approaching.
The night my friend and I went to a karaoke bar, I deliberately chose one in the most remote part of the city.
But somehow, we still ran into Drew’s entire crew.
It was as if they had been waiting for me. The moment they saw me, they swarmed.
“Emily.”
They surrounded me, blocking my path. I had no choice but to stop.
8
“Drew’s not mad anymore, you know.”
“You know how he is. He acts all tough, but he’s a total softie.”
“He’s been waiting for you to come and apologize.”
“If you keep being so stubborn, he’s really going to break up with you, and then you’ll be sorry.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Then let him. That would be great.”
“Emily?”
“Why are you still pretending? Don’t you see how serious this is?”
“I heard Mia is planning on confessing her feelings to him.”
“You’re going to get your man stolen right out from under you, and you’ll have nowhere to cry.”
“So you all knew she was after my boyfriend.”
I looked at them, a cold, mocking smile on my face.
They exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, one of them spoke up. “Emily… Drew really does only love you.”
“Just go see him. He’s at that place you two always go to. He really misses you.”
“It’s just his pride. He’s too stubborn to admit he was wrong.”
“He’s still hung up on that thing with the guy, Julian. He gets really jealous…”
I stood there in silence, feeling the absurdity of it all.
It was so tragic I couldn’t even laugh.
If this twisted game was what he called “love,” this constant need to humiliate me, to force me to my knees…
Then I didn’t want it.
He could hold a grudge for months over a simple “congratulations” from a boy I barely knew, and I was expected to be understanding.
But when he was the one flirting with Mia, playing the doting big brother, was he ever concerned about my feelings?
Did he even know what jealousy felt like?
But this was just the beginning.
Let’s see what happens next.
9
It was almost eleven o’clock.
The day was nearly over.
Drew chugged his beer, but a restless energy coiled in his gut.
He kept glancing at the door to the private room.
Every time it opened, his heart would skip a beat.
But as the final minutes ticked away, the door remained shut.
His phone was just as silent.
He’d never felt this way before. For the past two days, every notification had sent a jolt through him.
He’d snatch up his phone, his heart pounding, only to feel a crushing wave of disappointment when it wasn’t a friend request from Emily.
He had gotten used to her. He was spoiled by her affection.
He couldn't handle this sudden void.
Drew unlocked his phone again.
His lock screen was a photo of them together. He was stealing a kiss on her cheek, her expression a perfect mix of surprise and delight.
A smile touched his lips without him realizing it.
A wave of tenderness washed over him.
Fine.
For the past year, she had always been the one to make the first move.
This time, what was so wrong with him being the one to apologize?
He opened his social media app and sent her a friend request.
“Emily. The old spot. Before midnight.”
After sending the message, Drew let out a long breath.
He felt a strange sense of relief, a lightness he hadn’t felt in days.
Emily loved him so much. She was so good to him.
She would accept his request instantly and rush over.
After all, she was terrified of losing him.
Their silent treatments had never lasted more than three days before she’d show up, her eyes red and swollen from crying, timidly asking if they could get back together.
She cared so much. She adored him.
A pang of guilt hit him.
He knew he’d gone too far, deliberately using Mia to provoke her.
The truth was, there was nothing between him and Mia.
They hadn’t seen each other in years. After they reconnected, he had just been enjoying the novelty of it, basking in her open admiration.
Boys his age were all a little arrogant, a little vain.
Having two pretty girls fighting over him had been a massive ego boost.
But these past few days, with Emily completely silent, Drew finally realized who he truly wanted.
A friend clinked his bottle against Drew’s.
He took a distracted sip, his eyes glued to his phone.
But after he sent the request, his phone remained stubbornly silent.
A knot of unease began to form in his stomach.
He sent another request.
“Emily, the seven-day deadline is almost up.”
Still nothing.
Drew’s brow furrowed.
He stared at the blank screen, motionless, like a statue.
The noisy room had somehow quieted down around him.
The air grew thick, and even breathing seemed to require effort.
Suddenly, the door to the room swung open.
The abrupt noise made everyone look up.
A classmate rushed in, breathless and excited.
“She’s here, she’s here! Drew, she’s downstairs!”
“She looks amazing tonight, you should go see!”
The tension in Drew’s face immediately melted away.
He leaned back in his chair, a lazy, confident smile spreading across his face as he looked at his friend.
“Go tell Emily,” he said.
“It’s after midnight. It’s too late. I’m pissed.”
“If she wants to make up, she’s going to have to try harder than that.”
10
The classmate stared at Drew, dumbfounded.
“What are you talking about?”
“What Emily? What making up?”
“This has nothing to do with her.”
“It’s Mia!”
“Mia came all this way just to see you!”
The classmate shot Drew a knowing wink.
“I won’t spoil it for you, but you need to get down there. I promise, it’s a huge surprise!”
The room erupted in cheers and whistles.
Fresh out of their final exams, everyone was eager for a bit of romantic drama.
But Drew didn’t move.
The smile on his face vanished like a ripple on still water.
At his age, he couldn’t hide his emotions. They were written all over his face.
Anyone could see that he was far from happy. In fact, he looked absolutely miserable.
The boisterous crowd gradually fell silent.
Only the classmate at the door was still confused.
“Drew, aren’t you going down?”
Drew let out a sudden, cold laugh. “Why would I?”
“Mia is downstairs waiting for you.”
“And?”
“But… she likes you, and you like her. Everyone knows that, right?”
“When did I ever say I liked her?”
“Unless I’m mistaken, I’ve only ever said she was like a sister to me. Isn’t that right?”
“But… you two have been so close these past few days…”
Drew didn’t answer.
He just unlocked his phone again.
The friend request was still pending.
And the time was now well past midnight.
He exited the app and dialed Emily’s number.
A mechanical voice answered.
Emily had blocked him.
Drew’s expression grew darker.
He turned to a female classmate, borrowed her phone, and dialed again.
It rang a few times, and then someone picked up.
“Hello? Sarah? What’s up?”
Emily’s voice.
It was the same familiar sound.
Soft and warm.
Drew’s chest tightened.
He really did miss her.
“Hello? Are you there?”
“It’s me, Emily. It’s Drew.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the line went dead silent.
A moment later, the dial tone buzzed in his ear.
He tried calling back, but she didn't answer.
Drew handed the phone back to the girl.
He sat in silence, his face an unreadable mask.
He cracked open another beer and downed it in one go.
Then he looked at the classmate still standing at the door and said calmly, “Weren’t we going downstairs? Let’s go.”
“Drew?”
A smile played on Drew’s lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Let’s go. We shouldn’t let a girl embarrass herself.”
“She went to all this trouble. It would be rude not to show up.”
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