“Michael!” Charlotte was momentarily taken aback, but quickly broke into a smile. “It's been awhile.”
“Indeed, it has.” Michael's gaze never once left Charlotte. “How are you?”
“Good, good.” Sensing the storm brewing in Zachary, Charlotte held his arm in the nick of them and smiled. “We're getting married soon. We hope you can make it!”
“I see. Sure.”
Michael's gaze fell on her hand which was curled around Zachary's arm. He resembled a falling star, gradually dimming before winking out completely. How he wished that Charlotte would one day hold his arm like that.
For many years, he had hoped for his wish to come true, but all to no avail. It seems like it'd be close to impossible for that to happen now...
“We'll send you an invitation once the date is confirmed,” Zachary stated courteously before walking away with Charlotte.
Charlotte brushed past Michael's shoulder and left without looking back.
Although he had mentally prepared himself and imagined meeting her again more times than he could count, when both of them brushed past each other at that moment, his heart still wrenched painfully in his chest.
He lowered his gaze and stood rooted to the spot, waiting for the footsteps behind him to fade away.
Picturing Charlotte's retreating figure, Michael released a pained sigh. Perhaps we're destined to miss out on each other in this life...
Charlotte felt slightly guilty toward Michael, but she stopped herself from looking back. She knew that a blunt rejection was better than stringing him along by giving him false hope.
“Why didn't you stay to chat for awhile, seeing as he's your old friend?” Zachary asked casually.
“He's probably still there. Why don't we go back and look for him?” Charlotte pretended to turn back.
“Don't you dare!” Zachary immediately grabbed her and confined her in his arms, pinching her cheek with a slightly annoyed look on his face. “I've been spoiling you too much and you're getting bolder now, aren't you?”
“You were the one acting all sarcastic about it.” Charlotte gave him a chaste kiss and explained, “Michael and I never had anything going on between us. If anything, I'm the one who owes him. I never should've used him as a shield.”
“It's all in the past now.”
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