Kian Turner

Her gaze fixed on me, a frown etched on her forehead, she tried to remember me as I casually strolled towards her with a knowing smile on my face. She had grown more beautiful and mature since the last time I saw her. Her blonde hair was now a few tones darker and longer. Honestly, I never thought I would meet her ever again after our breakup.

With my hands in my pockets, I stopped a hand distance from her, waiting for her to remember me. Like c'mon, I ain't the one to be forgotten.

Her eyes roamed all over my face, then wandered down to my body. Since she was talking too much time, I decided to start first.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you don't remember me. We have spent a lot of time together."

As though understanding hit her hard, she gasped and questioned. "Kian?"

"Well, duh." I beamed and almost instantly I was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug, which made me laugh.

"Oh my god, where have you been? You've changed a lot." She squealed and pulling away, she asked. "Do you know for how many days I looked for you? I went to your home, but your parents didn't know about you either. You vanished into thin air."

"After our mutual breakup, I left San Francisco to live the life I always wanted." I shrugged.

"So, do I call you Advocate Gemma Hills now?" I asked with a smile.

"A proud lawyer, yes." She squared her shoulders proudly as she grinned.

"What did I tell you? I knew you'd make it." I patted her shoulder and ruffled her hair slightly.

She was my first and last ever girlfriend. We met in high school and became high school sweethearts almost instantly. We even went to the same college to pursue the same course, Law—a course my parents wanted me to have a degree in. But I didn't want that. That's why I dropped college in my freshman year and left without informing anyone as they would have stopped me from leaving.

Gemma and I had several arguments regarding my decision because ever since we were in high school, we had dreamt of a life together with a high-profile, renowned job. Like every teenager does. But my ambitions changed as I grew up and that didn't entice Gemma and her parents. They thought I would not be able to make a living, but here I was, although earning less, I fulfilled the promises I made to myself. It was my life after all and I was beyond happy.

Honestly, yes, I was heartbroken at the time when Gemma told me she couldn't understand me anymore and would not be able to wait for me until I had achieved what I wanted. I had thought she was the one for me, she would be by my side forever. Guess, I was wrong. She was uncertain of my ambitions. She couldn't invest her trust in me; she was doubtful. And I took it as a challenge to transform myself.

My decision for my growth made both of us realize that we weren't made for each other. We ended our relationship with mutual understanding.

"So, what about you? Where have you been? Did you make it?" She asked doubtfully, apprehension of hearing anything adverse could be seen on her face.

"I...have been to places. Been traveling the world and yes, I made it." I grinned proudly, telling her I achieved what I aimed for. It was selfish of me, but somewhere inside, I wanted her to feel guilty for what she did. If only she had waited. However, it was not up for discussion anymore.

"Oh, great." Her facial expressions changed to satisfactory ones. She then tapped my bicep. "And look at you, you have grown muscles. You have turned into a handsome hunk." She laughed.

"Yeah, I have." I laughed as I flexed my muscles. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh, I am here to attend my best friend, Renee's wedding." She answered. "What about you? What are you doing here? You had left San Francisco, what brought you back?" She inquired curiously.

"Work. Here... as a wedding planning intern." I answered.

"Wow, that's great. Although it's not the profession you wanted to be in, I wouldn't question it." She smiled gently. She didn't know me completely, but enough to conclude that I never wanted to work in a confined place.

"Anyway, did you visit your parents?" She asked.

I bit my lower lip. "No, not yet. I might later."

Honestly, I did want to meet them, but I feared that no contact for years may have suppressed their love for me. I might have fled from home, but I didn't want them to ever unlove me.

When I saw sympathy radiating through her eyes, I decided to divert the topic. "Tell me one thing Gemma, you are not one of those girls that don't ever want to be on civil terms with their ex, are you? Because although we are each other's past, I want us to be on civil speaking terms. Or do you still have feelings for me?" I playfully wiggled my eyebrows.

She laughed. "I have moved on, Kian." She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. "See, I'm engaged."

"Whoa, that's a huge rock sitting on your finger. He's loaded. And let me guess, he's a lawyer." I clicked my fingers.

"Yes, he is. We met in our internship." Her eyes got filled with love.

"I'm happy for you, Gem," I said sincerely.

She thanked me, then intriguingly looked at me. "Anyway, about your question, no, I'm not one of those girls. I'd love to be on civil speaking terms with you. We have spent the best moments of our life together, I think we deserve this. Only if you have moved on, though."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, I have."

Smiling, she came closer to me. "Well then, give me a hug for that." With that, she embraced me tightly. "Happy to having met you again, Kian."

Hesitantly, I lifted my arms and circled them around her, assuring myself it was for the good. I didn't want to hate her for life because it was her who unknowingly pushed me to success. 

I pulled away and gently pushed her back through her shoulders. "I think you should have some rest. We'll reminisce the old times later on."

Nodding her head, she went inside the manor and I turned around only to find the bench empty. Aura was no longer there.

Frowning, I headed to the back house thinking she might have gone to rest since it was break time. When I reached there, something told me to look for her at the back of the house where we generally scheduled our secret meetings. And my instincts were right, I found her rocking while listening to some music through her earbuds. She sang along while twirling the flower I had given her. Her smile knew no bounds. She seemed carefree and jubilant.

I leaned against the wall of the house making sure I was hidden from her view and observed her. She had a smile playing on her lips and I couldn't be more proud to be the reason behind that gentle smile of hers.

When she refused to forgive me or even look at me, I felt something I hadn't felt for a long time. I felt uneasy. I last felt that when I fled from home to make an identity since fear of failure was running with me.

Aura's bitterness, surprisingly, affected me to the core, it brought waves of tsunami to my senses. I wanted her to talk to me, I couldn't take her being upset with me.

So, I decided to do something different for her. I looked for numerous things to please her, and honestly, I could have never guessed that just a flower could flip her whole personality. She turned more lively. She began smiling and tossed playful remarks.

I was over the moon when she accepted my apology. I couldn't decipher what magic did the universe cast which in turn caused me to look at her as someone special. Having all my focus on her, I concluded that she most definitely wasn't anyone ordinary.

After observing her for a while from afar I decided to break her trance. Detaching myself from the wall, I approached her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked all of a sudden, scaring her. Hearing my voice she hid the flower behind her back and unplugged her earbuds.

"Uh, nothing. Done talking with your ex?" She inquired with raised eyebrows.

A naughty, teasing grin appeared on my lips as I saw a change of emotion on her face. "Why, jealous, cheesesteak?"

"Did your girlfriend hit you on hour head? Why would I be jealous?" She scowled. Somehow, my grin didn't waver which made her scowl go intense.

I shrugged. "Fine, if you're not jealous then come to my room tonight."

"What?!" She shrieked, almost bursting my eardrums. Wait, what did she interpret?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait there. Don't run those dirty horses in your head. I meant to discuss the plan further. Joy told me he had planned to take Vinnie out tonight, so we might as well take this as an advantage to discuss freely in the room without being heard."

"Yeah, no!" She snapped. "We'll meet right here like we usually do."

"You are coming at me as if I was planning to take advantage of you." I narrowed my eyes at her.

And she dared to retort. "Who knows."

"Well, Miss Cold heart, I ain't like that. I don't ever make a forceful move on girls." I shut her mouth with my reply since she didn't open her mouth after. Although she was being rude, I just couldn't resist teasing her; it had become my biggest pass time.

"By the way..." I daringly moved closer to her just to annoy her more. I slid my index finger over her cheek and rubbed it with tumb. "Is this a blush I'm seeing?"

I fake gasped as I created some distance between us. "Don't tell me you imagined us doing some kinky stuff inside the room."

Her nostrils flared, her eyes got ready to throw frosty daggers, her chest heaved heavily and I saw her nails getting sharper.

"You pervert!" She gritted out.

However, before she could attack me, I turned on my heels and sprinted to save my dear life, with her running after me to take burry me alive under the Antarctic ice field.

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