Vanessa Sterling widened her eyes, her cheeks flushed red, and stared blankly at Jasper Jones. Then, under Jasper’s direct gaze, she lowered her head in shock and helplessness, unsure of how to respond.
Jasper guessed that all she wanted to do at that mont was to leave the cabin, but unfortunately, they had just reached the highest point of the Ferris wheel.
"I’m sorry... I know this is rather sudden." Jasper said with a forced relaxed smile, unwilling to see Vanessa in distress, "It’s okay, you don’t have to answer right away. I just wanted to share my thoughts with you, no pressure."
Vanessa already felt guilty towards Jasper, and his confession only intensified her sense of indebtedness.
Sitting awkwardly in the corner, pressed tightly against the window, she softly replied to Jasper, "Sorry, I don’t have any plans in that regard at the mont. It’s not that you’re bad, it’s just... we might not be right for each other."
Vanessa tried to be as tactful as possible, but it was inevitable that Jasper felt disappointed; no matter how gentle, it was still a rejection.
Vanessa had never considered matters of the heart because she knew Miles Sterling wouldn’t allow it, at least not for now.
She couldn’t even obtain the most basic freedom, so how could she accept Jasper’s confession?
It wouldn’t just delay Jasper; it might also drag him into her troubles.
Audrey Sutton watched as the two walked out one after the other from the exit, and judged the confession’s outco by the atmosphere between them.
She discreetly patted Jasper’s shoulder as a gesture of encouragent.
"Audrey, are you feeling better?" Vanessa still tried to act as if nothing had happened.
Audrey nodded: "After resting a bit, I’m fine. Mindy said they’re also planning to co over, so let’s wait for them here."
Afterwards, the group moved together, with Jasper getting fewer opportunities to interact with Vanessa alone, and Vanessa seed to be intentionally avoiding him.
At night, the group ate at the amusent park and watched the fireworks show before heading back to the hotel.
On the way back, they sat in the sa cars as in the morning, but everyone was exhausted from their activities, and except for the driver, nearly everyone fell asleep on the way back.
Jasper noticed a light glinting in the rearview mirror and glanced briefly, seeing Vanessa sitting in the back, seemingly chatting with soone on her phone.
Audrey, wrapped in a jacket, leaned on Vanessa’s shoulder sleeping, while the other two were also asleep.
Jasper puckered his lips, hesitated but chose not to say anything.
The ssage was from Miles Sterling, asking when Vanessa would return the next day.
After replying with the ti, Vanessa put away her phone and, lifting her head, t Jasper’s eyes in the rearview mirror. They both almost simultaneously shifted their gazes, and Vanessa turned to look out the window as Jasper drove silently.
Back at the hotel room, while Audrey and Vanessa were in the bathroom removing makeup, Vanessa spoke to Audrey about it, "...Audrey, Brother Jones confessed to ."
Audrey paused while washing her face, seemingly surprised that Vanessa brought up the topic herself.
Audrey smiled and responded, "I know, he told . He said you rejected him."
Vanessa: "I just feel a bit sorry for him."
Audrey comforted her, "It’s alright, you know what he’s like, he’s open-minded about everything. Moreover, with matters of the heart, there’s not really a ’sorry’ or ’not sorry.’ A confession should always accept two completely possible outcos beforehand. I just don’t understand why you rejected him? I thought he was quite like the kind of guy you described yesterday."
Vanessa lowered her eyes, sighed softly, and said, "You know my situation. I haven’t sorted out my own issues, so I don’t dare think about anything else."
Audrey: "Your brother’s situation? Didn’t you say he’s been leaving you alone recently? Would he even ddle with your dating life? I thought once you get married, he wouldn’t interfere with your life anymore."
Vanessa laughed, with a hint of self-mockery in her smile, "He won’t let get married."
Audrey paused, pursed her lips, and tentatively asked, "Does he like you?"
Vanessa shook her head, thought for a mont, and said, "It’s like I’m a toy that belongs to him since childhood. If he hasn’t grown tired of it, he won’t allow to have my own thoughts to do what I want."
Audrey frowned and asked, "Has he seen a psychiatrist? I really think he has issues."
Vanessa: "I don’t know about him. As long as he doesn’t bother , it’s fine, just as things are now."
Vanessa dared not say much to Audrey because she rembered Miles warned her before she left.
If Audrey helped her again, Miles might hurt Audrey.
That night, Audrey video-called Shane Warner. Even though she’d only been out for a couple of days, Audrey was already hosick.
The night was long and slow, as she hoped for the dawn to co quickly.
Early the next morning, everyone gradually woke up.
At half-past eight, they departed from the hotel and headed for the pier.
There was quite a bit of fog today, especially down by the seaside, making everything look hazy.
The sky was overcast, and small raindrops began to fall during their return journey.
Everyone retreated to their cabins from the deck, as it was lunchti, and after they slowly completed their als at the restaurant, they returned to their rooms for a nap.
The light rain continued over the sea, and visibility was low amid the fog, causing the ship to navigate more slowly.
Audrey lay quietly asleep on the bed; perhaps she’d made a beautiful dream, as a gentle smile graced her lips.
Suddenly...
"Boom——"
The huge explosion sound nearly startled everyone awake from their slumber. The ship rocked a couple of tis, and Audrey sat up abruptly on the bed: "What happened?"
Vanessa shook her head, and the two hurriedly got out of bed, as the ship started to shake, like a mild earthquake, allowing them to barely keep their balance as they walked.
Noises erupted from outside in the corridor, and Audrey and Vanessa opened the door to check the situation. Everyone seed oblivious to what had occurred.
As alarms sounded, the speaker relayed the staff’s voice: "The ship has caught fire and exploded. Everyone, quickly put on your life jackets!"
The speaker repeated this ssage, seemingly underscoring the ship’s gradual tilt.
Chaos ensued as Audrey and Vanessa rushed back to their room. Following the survival knowledge taught before the ship set sail, they rapidly donned their life jackets amidst the turbulence.
But as the ship’s slope increased, items scattered all over the room, and Vanessa fell towards the wall as she lost her footing. Audrey grasped the railing to maintain her balance.
Jasper hurried over, noticing Vanessa on the ground. He quickly pulled her up and, while fastening her life jacket’s straps, said, "Hurry, co with ! The cabin’s flooded, the ship’s sinking, we need to leave imdiately!"
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