I thought about it for quite some time. I pondered, what if my presence this year wasn’t a mere coincidence? I often wish I could go back to when my mom and dad were together and stop them from getting married. Although it may seem selfish and twisted, my only desire is for my mother's eternal happiness. My mom has a lot of regrets stemming from her past with my dad. 
Sometimes I wish it was just me and my mom living together. Yes, I acknowledge my selfishness. The destiny of my mom and dad has already been determined, so why am I struggling to accept it? What if my arrival here rectifies the situation between my mom and dad? Maybe by preventing their wedding? 
I let out a deep sigh. What should I do now? 
“Lost in thought, huh?” My shoulders jerked in surprise. Dylan laughed. He stood beside me, facing the night view from the second-floor balcony. For a moment, we both just stayed silent. I didn’t know what to say. There’s too much on my mind right now. 
“Thinking about your husband?” Dylan suddenly asked. 
“I’m not. Just... I don’t know. There’s a lot on my mind...” I told him honestly. 
“Hey, I’m sorry. You know, I asked you to play along. Becoming my future wife, I mean. Seriously, I didn’t tell her you’re my future wife. She just misunderstood. I swear.” Dylan seemed panicked. I chuckled at his reaction. 
“I know. It’s my choice to play along with it, and I thought I owed you too much, so at least I’ve to do this.” 
“No. Don’t feel indebted. I do it sincerely for you. Like I said, I expect nothing in return. You can trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you again. I promise,” Dylan assured, and I knew I could trust him. 
“I do. I trust you. But... Can I ask you to do something?” 
“What? Tell me. Anything.” 
“I have something I want to do, and I really need your help. And whatever I do, can you promise not to question or ask anything about it? I'm not quite ready to completely open up to you and share everything about me. It’s not because I don’t trust you. I just need time. After everything is done, I promise I’ll tell you everything. Could you?” 
Dylan nodded immediately, with no second thoughts. 
“Certainly. I’ll always be there when you need me. Anytime.” 
I felt terrible for using Dylan’s feelings for Bella for my benefit. I knew Dylan did all this for Bella, and that I’m not Bella as he thought... 
I shouldn’t have done that. I know it well. But I need Dylan. I need Dylan if I want to continue with my plan. I’m sorry, Dylan.  
“Dylan, actually, I want to see someone. Can you help me?” I asked, after giving it some thought. Dylan nodded. I turned to look at the night view. I don’t know if what I’m doing is right or wrong. I know I have no right to change the future. But since I’m already here, I don’t want to regret not doing anything. Maybe it’s true that I’m being selfish, but perhaps this is the best choice. 
“Do you know about Dylan’s status?” I turned when Mrs. Emily posed the question. At that moment, we had just finished breakfast, and I was helping her tidy up the dining table. I didn’t see where Dylan went. 
“What do you mean? What kind of status are you talking about regarding Dylan?” I didn’t quite understand her question. 
“Hasn’t Dylan told you anything about his life or his status?” Mrs. Emily seemed puzzled. I shook my head. 
“Dylan has never told me anything. What’s wrong? Is there something I should know about him?” Mrs. Emily shook her head with a thoughtful expression.  
What’s wrong with Dylan? Throughout my acquaintance with Dylan, I’ve known nothing else about him except his name. Perhaps I’ve been too preoccupied with my own problems to pay attention to someone who has helped me a lot. 
“Can I ask you something?” 
“Sure. Just ask.” 
“Is Dylan an only child? And I’ve never seen Dylan’s dad in this house.” 
“Did Dylan never tell you?” 
“Err... Dylan rarely talks about his family…” I replied with a smile. Mrs. Emily shook her head. 
“It’s okay. Let me tell you. Actually, Dylan’s dad passed away because of an accident. He left me with two children, Dylan and Brian. Dylan is two years younger than Brian. When Dylan is not around, I live here with Brian,” explained Mrs. Emily. 
“But I’ve never seen Brian?” I asked, curious. Even during dinner last night, I didn’t see anyone else besides Mrs. Emily. I had always thought Dylan was an only child. Turns out, he has a brother. I saw Mrs. Emily sigh. 
“I’m not sure why, but Dylan and Brian have never gotten along. Whenever they meet, it’s like cats and dogs. They’re always fighting. That’s why when Dylan comes back, Brian always sleeps somewhere else. I don’t know. I’ve advised Dylan about Brian countless times, but nothing has changed...” Mrs. Emily explained. I nodded in understanding. It’s somewhat like me and Kira, but even though Kira and I often argue, my life feels incomplete without her. At least with Kira, our arguments are more of a playful love, not a hateful one. 
“Mom, if I may ask, about Dylan’s status earlier... What do you mean?” I couldn’t stop thinking about what was meant by that status. It’s better to ask directly than to keep wondering. 
“Don’t you mind knowing it from me? I just don’t want to ruin your relationship with him.” 
Huh? Is his status so bad that it could ruin my relationship with Dylan? Wait a second, Dylan and I aren’t even in a romantic relationship. What’s there to ruin?  
“Err... It’s okay. I don’t mind. Besides, if I wait for Dylan to tell, who knows when I’ll find out? Please tell me. What status are you talking about?” I urged. 
“Well, if you want to know, Dylan has...” 
“Bella!” Dylan shouted loudly from outside the house. I bit my lip to suppress my frustration.  Why does he have to call me at this moment? Mrs. Emily chuckled. She must have noticed the irritation on my face earlier. 
“Mom, please tell me now. I want to know now...” I pleaded. Mrs. Emily just laughed. 
“Never mind, Bella. Go outside. Dylan is waiting there. Ask him yourself about that later.” 
I made a disappointed face as I stepped outside. Huh, my shot at uncovering Dylan’s secret is over! 
“What?” I asked Dylan with an annoyed tone and a flushed face. 
“Oh, look at how fierce you are...” Dylan teased. He smiled as he looked at me, and at that moment, it felt like there was slow motion. Dylan, casually wearing a T-shirt with slightly tousled hair, as if he just woke up, combined with a sweet and charming smile, left me mesmerized with an unexpected flutter in my heart. Does he always smile like that? 
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Dylan bent down to match my height and brought his face closer to mine. Another sweet smile emerged. I, surprised, could only stand there motionless, unable to blink. My heart raced faster than usual. My face started feeling hot. I prayed fervently that my face wouldn’t change color. I didn’t want Dylan to know I was embarrassed! 
Suddenly, Dylan burst into laughter. 
“Look at how red your face is!” Dylan couldn’t stop laughing. I turned away. I couldn’t face him. 
“What... Where’s the redness coming from? You’re so full of yourself. Why on earth would my face turn red because of you?” My voice trembled. I waved my hands around. Why was it suddenly so hot this morning? Dylan’s laughter suddenly stopped. Huh? Was he offended by what I said? I turned back to face him and let out a small scream when I realized how close he was to me. Dylan’s face looked serious. 
“You... You...” 
“Why are you saying that? Are you not willing to fall in love with me? Am I not good enough for you?” Dylan’s tone was serious. 
I was lost for words and avoided meeting his gaze. Awkwardness filled the air. I pretended to laugh. 
"You’re so funny. Anyway, why did you call me earlier? Do you want to take me out or something?" I changed the subject. Slowly, I tried to distance myself a bit from Dylan. My attempt failed as Dylan quickly pulled me back, causing our bodies to embrace each other. For a moment, I could feel Dylan's hands neatly encircling my body. I was stunned. 
"Dy... Dylan?" I squirmed slightly to release myself from the hug. 
"Can't you fall in love with me?" Dylan spoke, causing my struggle to cease. 
"For the first time, I’ve never felt like this in my entire life. Every moment, I feel like I want to get closer to you, protect you, and I don't want to be apart from you. So, can you just fall in love with me? Can you?" Dylan pleaded slowly. My heart pounded heavily. 
"Why are you silent? Am I really not worthy of you?" Dylan spoke again. 
"I won't let you go until I get an answer. Let's hug until tomorrow," he threatened. 
"Dylan... I..." 
"Wow, wow, wow..." 
Dylan automatically released his embrace. His sharp eyes looked towards the owner of the voice.