Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

Agnes couldn't quite put her finger on it, but whenever she spoke with Ryder, the conversation seemed to drift towards Jared somehow.

It wasn't intentional, really. Yet every time she looked at Ryder's face, Jared's image would involuntarily seep into her thoughts.

Mentioning Jared always elicited the subtlest shift in Ryder's expression.

"Agnes, you know, I wish that when you're with me, I'm the one on your mind, not my uncle," Ryder's voice held a tinge of dejection.

Hearing this made Agnes feel a pang of guilt. She said, "Ryder, we can never be together. Even if I'm not with Jared anymore, I can only see you as a friend, or maybe like a younger relative. I just don't have those feelings for you..."

"Stop," Ryder cut her off, a heavy silence falling between them.

At that moment, Agnes realized they had unwittingly walked up to the grand entrance of the Pritchard Mansion.

Time and again, Agnes tried to clarify the nature of their relationship, often repeating herself more than necessary. Sometimes, she even did it on purpose, knowing full well Ryder hated these conversations. But she felt compelled to speak the hard truths.

She knew that for many reasons, she couldn't just cut ties with Ryder. Yet she couldn't afford to give him hope either.

Ryder's ambiguous advances and probing always left her heart aching. He refused to let go, to give up. All Agnes could do was to keep him at arm's length, as gently as she could.

"Ryder..." Agnes was at a loss for words.

"Agnes, you've never even tried. Why say we won't work? You've never attempted to let me in. All the effort I've put in isn't to make you fall for me. I just want you not to reject me. Don't step back every time I come close. Just stay put, will you? I'm not asking for much, just don't push me away," Ryder pleaded.

Agnes felt an ache in her heart at his words. But suddenly, Ryder stepped forward, wrapping his arm around her in an embrace.

Instinctively, Agnes tried to shove him away but ended up touching his injured arm.

Ryder let out an involuntary grunt of pain.

Agnes gasped in horror, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Stay still, Agnes. Just let me hold you for a minute, just one minute."

Agnes was stiffened. She stood rigid in his tentative hold until Ryder finally released her.

As her body relaxed from its tension, Ryder stepped back. "Alright, go inside. I should get going."

It was then that Agnes came back to her senses. "Yeah, take care."

Mason had already pulled up in the car. Ryder got in, and Agnes watched numbly from the doorway.

Only when Ryder's car vanished into the night did she turn to enter the house.

But something felt off.

Mason's car had long gone, yet Agnes could still sense the glow of headlights nearby, dim but unmistakable. Why would there be a stationary car parked close by, with its lights still on?

Agnes squinted into the darkness, discerning the silhouette of a person inside the vehicle. The light was too faint, the distance too great for her to make out the face, but the silhouette was unmistakable. It was Jared!