Forever and Always (English Version)

Chapter 19: “Like We Never Said Goodbye”

"I know the place, Dad," Pepper said, trying to keep her voice low. But her excitement was too much to contain—her pitch kept rising, like a soprano trapped on a high note. She needed to calm down.

"I’ll be fine."

"I’m calling Alex," her father said, already reaching for his phone.

"Dad!" she protested, pouting in frustration. "How is that supposed to be a surprise?"

"I just don’t feel comfortable letting you go out alone in this weather, Erika," he insisted.

"I have my phone," she said, waving it in front of him.

"Let her go," her mother chimed in gently.

"Thanks, Mom!" Pepper wrapped her in a quick, grateful hug. Her father, on the other hand, looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon—clearly worried. "Dad, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And it’s not like it’s my first time here."

He exchanged a long, silent look with her mother—doing that telepathic thing parents always seemed to do. Pepper raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," her dad finally relented, shaking his head. "Just give us updates every now and then."

She smiled brightly. "I will. And I’ll bring Alex to dinner!" She bit her tongue the moment her voice squeaked again, but luckily, her parents didn’t seem to notice. She quickly hugged them both and rushed out the door before her father could change his mind.

Her heels felt like they had wings. Walking through the hotel lobby, she practically bounced with every step. She had never felt so alive, knowing she’d see Alex—very soon. She couldn’t resist posting the moment they landed:

On my way home. I’ll come running to you. ♥

And she absolutely meant it.

But when she stepped outside, she grimaced. Her father was right—the weather was terrible. The snow was wet and heavy. How was she supposed to run to Alex without slipping? She loved snow, but not like this. Still, nothing could stop her from going to him.

She hopped into a cab, silently praying Alex would be just as happy to see her. Her palms were sweaty despite the cold. Her heart thundered in her chest. How many times had she wished for this moment since he left? Too many to count. And how many times had she wondered if he wanted to see her too?

Her hands trembled as she opened the taxi door—nerves buzzing just beneath her skin. The cold had nothing to do with it.

She paused, trying to steady her nerves before pressing the doorbell. No answer. Her excitement wavered. Alex never worked Friday afternoons. Where could he be?

She crossed her arms and shivered. He should be here any minute now, she told herself.

She considered ducking into the nearby café, but she was afraid she’d miss him if he came back. That would ruin the surprise. No—this had to go as planned. She needed to run into his arms. No thinking. No hesitation. She hadn’t traveled this far just to be rejected.

Ten minutes passed. Still no Alex. Her excitement slowly deflated.

What if he wasn’t alone anymore? What if she’d come too late?

She shook the thought away, but the sting in her chest lingered.

Had he moved on? Was that why he hadn’t replied to her messages?

The longer she waited, the heavier her heart grew. She rang the doorbell again, hoping he hadn’t heard it the first time. Still nothing. She called her parents, telling them she had arrived, and when they asked to talk to Alex, she quickly made up an excuse that he was getting dressed before hanging up to avoid suspicion.

She looked up at the falling snow. It felt like her emotions—heavy and cold. Another ten minutes passed, and her energy was gone. It was freezing. Her cheeks were numb, her toes were frozen, and her boots were soaked.

Alex, please come already, she silently pleaded. Her vision blurred with tears. Can this day get any worse?

Then, a teenage boy swore loudly nearby. His jacket had been splashed with mud. Her heart jumped. He looked like Alex. He even walked like him. He cursed like him, too. She waited as he came closer—then another car passed and splashed his face. He swore again, furious.

A laugh escaped her lips—dry, shaky, barely a sound in the wind.

Then the boy looked up.

Her heart stopped.

It was him. It was Alex.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Adrenaline rushed through her, and every ounce of fading energy surged back into her body. She forgot the cold, the doubt, and the pain. Without thinking, she ran straight into his arms.

"I missed you," she gasped between hiccuping breaths. "God, Alex, I missed you so much."

He stood frozen, like he’d been struck by lightning. His eyes, wide with disbelief, searched her face as if afraid she might vanish.

“P-Pepper?” he croaked.

She nodded, smiling through her tears. “Your one and only.”

When he just stood there, stunned, she managed a shaky smile.

“What—no dramatic reunion scene?”

Alex pulled her into a tight hug.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn’t need to hear it—he missed her too. Maybe even more than she’d imagined.

"This isn’t a dream," she whispered. She reached up to cup his cheek, but he flinched.

"Damn it, you’re freezing!" he muttered, grabbing her hands and blowing warm air over them. His worry warmed her more than the fire ever could. He’s still the same. Still the boy who cared too much and didn’t know how to say it.

"How long were you out here?" he asked, still irritated. He pulled her toward the apartment, quickly unlocking the door.

"J-Just now," she lied.

They climbed to the second floor, and she smiled at how neat everything was. Alex had always been a minimalist.

"You still suck at lying, Pepper. You’re soaked and freezing, damn it!"

She giggled. His face was red—not just from the cold, but from anger. He quickly stripped her wet jacket and beanie off.

"And you think this is funny!" he snapped, but she laughed harder.

She wrapped her arms around him and showered kisses across his face. The anger melted off him like snowflakes on skin. He let out a long breath, then shook his head—half in disbelief, half in surrender.

"Come here," he said softly, guiding her to the fireplace. He wrapped a thick duvet around her and lit the fire. "Warm up." Then he disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned, he had two mugs of hot chocolate.

She smiled, touched. When he sat beside her, she leaned on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Feeling better now?"

She nodded, breathing in the scent she had missed so much. "Let’s stay here forever..." she murmured.

Alex couldn’t believe it. He had longed for this—hearing her voice, feeling her touch—but his pride had kept him from reaching out. And now, here she was. Holding him. Just like before. Just like he’d wished every night. His heart pounded. Did she know how much he missed her? Is that why she came?

He had frozen when he first saw her. So many times he’d imagined this, only to be fooled by his own mind. But this was real. She was real. In his arms. His nose stung. His throat ached. He blinked back the tears.

He buried his face in her hair. God, he missed this. Her warmth. Her touch. Her scent. But more than anything, he missed the way he felt when she was near—like nothing else mattered.

"You’ve lost weight," he said, eyes narrowing. "Haven’t you been eating? You’re so light."

"Homesick," she said softly.

He chuckled. "Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?"

"Home was never the same without you, Alex." She hugged him tighter. "This... this is what feels like home."

And that terrified him. Because if she was home... where would that leave him if she's not here to stay?

Alex’s chest tightened. He wanted to believe that—God, he did. But the line between best friend and something more had blurred so completely, it scared him. He could hold her like this forever. But could he survive it?

He suddenly remembered the post that had haunted him all day. The image of her running toward him, arms open. Was that for me?

He nearly cursed aloud. He wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt.

"What’s that smile for?" Pepper asked, looking up at him.

He didn’t realize he was smiling. He quickly masked it. "Nothing."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Just happy," he said, and she smiled back.

"Me too, Alex." She let out a sigh. "These past two months... were almost unbearable."

His eyes burned again. He hated himself for making her carry the weight of their fight.

"I wish I could undo what happened, Alex. I want us to go back to how we were." She looked up at him, pleading. "If that night didn’t happen... we wouldn’t be like this. I just want you back. The old Alex."

The old Alex is long gone, Pepper. I can no longer be your best friend.

The words echoed in his mind, but he forced himself to hold them back. He didn’t want to hurt her—the girl who’d been his closest friend for years.

"I’ll think about it," he said, his voice reluctant. Her face lit up, and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

"I missed you, you know," she whispered softly.

"I missed you too, silly," he replied, ruffling her hair, trying to distract himself from how close her face was to his. How could he give in to what she wanted when he couldn’t even control his own desire for her?

"I came with Mom and Dad. Dad’s having an exhibit right now," she said, glancing at him. Her face was too close for comfort. Her lips looked inviting, making his mouth dry. "I promised to bring you to dinner."

He glanced outside, frowning at the snow. "We can’t go out in this kind of weather."

Suddenly, her phone rang.

"Hello, Dad," she answered, putting it on speaker, so Alex could hear her dad’s voice booming through the line.

"Stay with Alex. Don’t go out. The weather’s too dangerous."

"Okay, Dad. Are you and Mom okay?"

"We’re at the gallery, but don’t worry—we’ve sorted our stay. I need to talk to Alex now."

She handed the phone to him, and Alex took it with a nod.

"Yes, Uncle?"

"Stay inside and keep safe. And take care of my daughter. I’m entrusting her to you."

"Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her."

"She’s barely eaten in two months," her mom chimed in. "Make sure she gets a proper meal."

Pepper flushed and stomped her foot. "Mommy, please!" Alex couldn’t help but smile at the endearing sound.

"Yes, Auntie. I’ll fatten her up again," he teased, making Pepper roll her eyes.

"Thank you, hijo. Enjoy your evening. Stay safe inside, okay? Love you both."

"Love you, Mom and Dad!" Pepper replied cheerfully.

Alex handed the phone back to her, his heart thumping. "Seems like it’s just you and me."

Suddenly, he felt nervous. Could he stay close to her, knowing how much he wanted her?

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Let’s cook dinner."

"Five minutes," she whispered, nestling against his chest like she belonged there.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Yeah… this is how I die.

And as the snow kept falling outside, Alex held Pepper closer—still unsure if he was strong enough to let her stay, or brave enough to let her go again.