In Between

Chapter 19

As Red headed back to his room after coming from outside, he suddenly met his father, who was heading to the living room. He calmly continued on his way, but his steps halted when he heard his father's voice. "Are you going to accompany her?" his father asked, looking at him directly. "No, Dad. She said she can handle herself."

"And you didn't insist on driving her? Well, I see you've changed, you're not like before. That's good." he said, offering a sarcastic smile as he approached Red and tapped his shoulder. Red remained silent, his eyes fixed on his father, not wanting to reopen this past conversation between them. "Well, Red, I'd really like to see that not happen again." he said sternly, turning his head to face Red, their gazes locked.

As he heard his words, he was brought back to the memory of her trembling voice on that day, along with her teary eyes that seemed to pierce through him, portraying her pain and hurt over what he had confessed to her. He realized how much he had hurt her that day, sacrificing everything just because he becomes coward for her.

"D-does this... end, Red?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry..."

That day changed the course of his life forever, living without her and accepting the harsh reality that he was the one who had turned his back and left her behind, forgetting the promises that their love would last forever. But the truth hurt - he had been the coward, unable to fight for her.

"She's not her, Dad." he managed to reply, averting his gaze before taking a step away from his father, leaving him standing there. How could life turn out this way again?

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Vivian Pov

I stood patiently at the waiting area for the bus to arrive. It had been almost a minute since I got out of their house, and yet no bus had come along my way. I glanced to the left and right, checking if a bus was approaching, but it seemed unlikely that any would pass through this route. Given the early hour, I didn't feel rushed to catch a bus. As the minutes ticked by, feeling like an eternity, a few cars passed by, catching my attention. I found myself following the cars with my gaze and, to pass the time, started counting them to amuse myself while I waited.

1... red car... 2... black car... 3... silver one... 4... green one... 5... brown car... 6... oh, wow, a pink car?... and 7...

My train of thought stopped as I noticed a car slowly passing by that looked familiar. I eyed the car for a while, trying to place it. Yes, that car looked familiar. It felt like I had seen it before. I struggled to figure out where I had seen it, but before I could recall, the car stopped near me. As I saw the driver through the open window, my eyes widened, and I blinked twice to confirm what I was seeing, wondering if it was real or if I was delusional.

As the car drew closer, I gasped in surprise, now confirming who it was.

Red?

Before I could even process the thought, I realized he was already looking at me from inside the car. He sat in the driver's seat, turned his head towards me, and asked,

"What are you doing here?" I approached his car, and he opened the door, gesturing for me to get in. Still feeling confused, I got into the car, closing the door behind me, and turned to face him. Despite the unexpected encounter, I didn't feel awkwardness between us, instead I was more confused about what he was doing there.

"I'll drop you off." he stated simply after starting the engine and driving off. I still looked at him, confused, unable to read his expression since he wore an emotionless face. It seemed kind of weird and different from his usual self, even if he had shown this kind of expression before. It made me wonder if something was bothering him, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Are you fine?" I asked, daring to break the silence that had engulfed us since we started the ride. He turned his head, glancing at me briefly, but didn't say anything, instead turning his gaze back to the road.

"You didn't need to drop me off, I already said it to you." I said almost in a whisper, feeling a bit shy, but wanting to make it clear that he didn't need to go out of his way. This time, he did reply, though his focus remained on the road.

"Can I come with you?" he blurted out, catching me off guard. I looked at him with a perplexed expression. "Come with me? But why?" I asked. "Why not?" he said, almost interrupting me.

"I'm bored today and I want to go to some places I've never been to before."

"So you think of our house?" I asked.

"Look, can't you just let me go with you? Don't ask any questions about it. Besides, isn't it a big deal?" he said, his tone somewhat insistent. I sighed and turned to look out the window, feeling like I didn't have much choice now that I was already riding in his car.

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Ella Pov

"It's nice that you agreed to my offer." Theo said, making me smile. Given that he seemed kind and I didn't feel uncomfortable around him, I figured, why not? Plus, I didn't have any work to do, and I wanted to take a break from our hectic week at the firm.

"Well, the fact is I couldn't refuse the offer from the CEO's son, so why not?" I replied, smiling at him. My statement made him chuckle, and we both enjoyed our coffee and the sweet desserts on the table. "I'm glad you're not that kind of snob and let me get to know you for a while, even if it's all sudden." he said.

"You're the CEO's son, who am I to refuse, anyway?" I said, taking a sip of my drink and then a small bite of my cake.

"Is this my first time seeing you at the firm? So, how long have you worked in our company?" he asked. "Honestly, I've worked in other subsidiary firms of your company for 3 years, but when they needed another lawyer, the manager assigned me to transfer here."

"I think you're a great lawyer and well-qualified, that's why they assigned you. Honestly, even before this, my dad didn't let anyone who's not sufficiently skilled work in the main firm of our company." he said, his tone somehow complimentary, making me chuckle.

"Not really, I'm just a normal lawyer." I said, turning to face him and studying his features closely. I recognized that he was indeed the CEO's son, given the similarities in some of their features. However, one thing I realized was that he was much more calm and casual compared to his father's perfect, polished persona.

"Yeah, I know I'm handsome, and most people find me attractive, but you didn't need to stare at me like that." he said suddenly, his voice audible and snapping me out of my thoughts. I diverted my gaze, chuckling at his joking tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I wasn't staring at you." I said jokingly. "Anyway, do you also work at the company?" I asked, changing the subject. "I've also seen you there for the first time."

"No." he said, smiling and sipping his coffee.

"Then what are you doing around the building?" I asked.

"Well, my dad ordered me to check things out because soon I'll be taking over as the new owner of the law firm after I finish my college degree." he said. I showed a surprised expression upon hearing this, not realizing he was still studying – he didn't look like a student.

"Oh, so you're still studying. Well, it's nice. Good luck with your degree, and I'm looking forward to working with you soon." I said, smiling at him. He smiled back, and we both enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere.

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To be continued.....