Love Scenario Part_1 Hanie_🩵 🌸 Asher’s POV – Scene 2 The garden was alive with sunlight, shadows dancing on the marble paths as Hazel’s laughter floated through the air. Asher Harrington stood by the fountain, hands in his pockets, watching her spin in that red lehenga, her hair catching the light like strands of gold. And yet… he felt nothing. Not in the way Hazel did, anyway. Ever since he was a child, he had known this day would come. He remembered the countless family gatherings where elders spoke of the promise—his grandparents’ unwavering assurance that he and Hazel would marry. As a boy, he had nodded, pretending to care, while his mind wandered elsewhere—over books, over quiet walks alone, over dreams that had nothing to do with the girl who had grown up beside him. Hazel had always been there, bright and cheerful, her heart spilling over for him in ways he could never reciprocate. And he hated himself for it. Because she deserved love, passion, devotion… not the polite distance he offered, not the careful avoidance he practiced every day. “Why can’t I just… feel it?” he whispered to himself, shaking his head. He hated his own mind for being so cold, so unmoved. The thought of hurting her—the very idea of watching her hope for something he could never give—made his chest tighten in a way he couldn’t explain. When Hazel smiled at him earlier, that soft, hopeful smile, he had felt a pang. Not of love… but of guilt. Of fear. Of responsibility. If he allowed himself even a fraction of affection for her, he knew the consequences. The family would expect them to be together, the childhood promise would solidify, and then… they would both be trapped. Hazel, thinking she had finally won his heart. And him, lying to her every day, every moment. Asher ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the fountain, letting his mind drift back to simpler times. Back when they were children, when she had clung to him after falling, when he had pushed her gently away but still held her hand for a moment longer than necessary. Those were innocent times. But now, the stakes were different. He didn’t hate her. Not truly. Hazel was kind, loyal, beautiful, and brave. But… he didn’t love her. Not the way she deserved. And that realization gnawed at him every day. He sighed, staring at the rippling water. I have to keep my distance. I have to… Asher’s thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of Hazel’s voice again. > “Even if you don’t want me by your side, I’ll still wait.” The words hit him like a storm he hadn’t anticipated. Wait. She would wait for him. Wait for someone who didn’t love her. He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat almost suffocating him. He wanted to tell her the truth. To tell her that he didn’t feel the same, that he never would. But could he? Could he really crush her heart, knowing how much she had loved him since they were children? So he did what he had always done. He smiled faintly, a small shield, and turned away. Distance is kindness, he told himself. Distance is protection. Better this way than shattering her completely. Yet, as he walked back toward the house, Asher couldn’t shake the ache in his chest—the ache that came from watching someone he cared for, someone he would always care for in some way, love him in a way he could never return. And that ache… that ache was heavier than he had ever imagined. --- #novel #forbiddenlove #onesidedlove #Asherharrington #hazelfoster #lovescenario #trending