Chapter 6
"Back then, I thought you were probably the most heartless girl in the whole school," Freddie said quietly.
He looked at me, and there was no anger left in his eyes—just a weary acceptance, like he'd finally made peace with everything.
He continued, "You gave me hope, and then you shattered it yourself. For a long time after that, I honestly thought all pretty girls were just liars."
"I'm sorry," I choked out, covering my face as I sobbed. "I really didn't know. I swear, I never meant for any of this to happen."
"I know," Freddie said softly. "The moment you ran out of the studio today, I knew."
He stepped closer to me.
I instinctively backed away until my back pressed against the cold wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.
He reached out, stopping just short of my cheek, as if he wanted to wipe away my tears, but then he hesitated and pulled his hand back.
He said, "Arabella, your efforts are not something to be laughed at."
He looked straight at me, every word deliberate and sincere. "You just took the wrong path, but in the end, you still reached your own pinnacle."
"It's just..." He paused, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "We missed out on ten years together."
After he said that, he left.
He left me there, alone in the dark, just turning his last words over and over in my head.
We missed out on ten whole years.
Those ten years felt like a gulf we could never cross, stretching out between us.
*****
The next day, with huge bags under my eyes, I actually called in sick for the first time ever.
I wasn't actually sick. I just had no idea how to face any of this.
How was I supposed to deal with all those curious stares from my coworkers at the TV station?
And how was I supposed to face this so-called "reunion of the century" that everyone was talking about, all because of my own stupid mistake?
Maya showed up at my place early in the morning, carrying my favorite breakfast.
As soon as she walked in and saw me looking like a total mess, she slammed the food down on the table.
"Arabella, pull yourself together," Maya snapped.
She planted her hands on her hips, looking at me like she couldn't believe how hopeless I was.
"I was up all night thinking about this, and I finally figured it out," Maya said.
"What?" I asked weakly.
"This isn't some tragic, passionate romance. It's just a lighthearted comedy of errors," Maya declared.
She slapped her thigh and continued, "Think about it. A silly girl mishears a single sentence, works her butt off for ten years, and finally makes it big.
"A pure-hearted guy gets stood up, holds a grudge for a decade, and ends up as an overbearing CEO.
"Ten years later, they meet again, and the truth comes out. Isn't this just the classic sweet romance trope?"
I couldn't help but laugh at her quirky logic.
"Sweet? I'm literally dying from how dumb I am," I groaned.
Maya shot back, ticking off points on her fingers. "How is this not sweet?
"First, he totally had a crush on you back then. Why else would he ask you to meet at that tower by the woods?
"Second, you stood him up, but he still couldn't get you out of his head. If that's not true love, what is?
"Third, he's a big shot now, and you're a star in your field. That's what they call a perfect match—a real power couple."
Maya leaned in and lowered her voice, "And the most important thing, he actually showed up at your place in the middle of the night. What does that tell you? He's definitely not over you."
Maya's words were like a ray of light, slicing through the mess in my head.
That was right.
If he really didn't care about me, why would he have stopped me after the interview?
Why would he have chased me all the way to my place and said all those things to me after I ran away?
He could've just wrapped things up and walked away, treating me like any other stranger.
But he didn't.
Maybe these ten lost years weren't some final, irreversible mistake after all.
A tiny spark of hope flickered to life inside me.
My phone rang. It was Johnny Taylor, the producer from the station.
I took a deep breath and answered.
"Arabella, are you feeling any better? I heard about what happened last night. It's normal for young people to get emotional sometimes," Johnny said, his voice warm and reassuring.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," I replied.
"That's good to hear. Make sure you get some rest," Johnny said, and then he shifted the topic. "Oh, and I've got some good news for you.
"Mr. Houghton was super impressed with the interview. His assistant called me this morning. They want you to head up a major long-term partnership with their company."
My heart did a little flip.
"Me?" I blurted out.
Johnny said, practically bursting with excitement, "Yep. Mr. Houghton himself picked you out. He said he's really impressed by your professionalism.
"This is a big deal. If you pull it off, you've basically got the annual top award in the bag."