Episode 16

I took a deep breath and steeled myself. The decision was made. I wasn’t going to let my nerves get the better of me. I walked toward the group where Michael was standing, trying to appear casual, like it was just another reunion, even though my heart was pounding.

As I got closer, Michael glanced my way, his eyes locking onto mine. He seemed to recognize me immediately, his expression shifting from a focused conversation to one of surprise, then something softer—maybe even a little nostalgic.

"Alexis?" he said, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief. He stepped away from the group, excusing himself. The crowd seemed to fade as he made his way over to me, and all I could focus on was him.

"Wow," he said, smiling. "I didn’t expect to see you here. You look... different." His eyes swept over me, and there was a brief moment of awkward silence before he added, "But in a good way."

I laughed nervously, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, well, it's been a while, hasn’t it?"

"Too long," Michael said, his smile genuine. There was something about the way he looked at me—like he was genuinely happy to see me, and it made the nervous energy in my stomach ease just a little. "How have you been?"

I thought for a moment, unsure of how much to share. "Good, you know. Just... school and all that. Busy as usual."

"I hear you," Michael replied, nodding with understanding. "I've been traveling a lot for work. You know how it is."

I nodded, trying to keep the conversation light. "Yeah, I’ve heard you were abroad. What was that like?"

Michael’s eyes lit up, clearly excited to talk about his experiences. "It was incredible, actually. A bit of everything—work, new cultures, new places. But I'm glad to be back. It’s nice to reconnect with old friends."

"Yeah," I said, feeling a little more at ease as the conversation continued. "I didn’t expect this kind of catch-up, but I guess it’s good timing."

He chuckled, and there was a warmth to it. "Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it either, honestly. But I’m glad you came. I missed seeing you around."

The words hung in the air, more significant than either of us had probably intended. I shifted slightly, trying to keep my cool, even as old feelings started bubbling up to the surface. It felt like time hadn’t passed at all, like we were back in high school again, just talking casually.

"So," Michael began, breaking the silence, "What’s been the highlight of your year? Anything exciting?"

I thought for a moment, considering the question. "Well, I guess the biggest thing would be... I’m still figuring things out, but I’m definitely enjoying the journey."

Michael nodded, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "That’s the thing about figuring things out, right? It’s all a journey. Speaking of which, how’s Mark? He still up to his usual antics?"

I laughed, feeling a little more at ease. "Yeah, he is. You know how he is. Still cracking jokes and dragging everyone into his crazy ideas."

Michael grinned. "Some things never change."

"True," I agreed. "What about you? Any big changes?"

Michael seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "Not really, to be honest. I guess you could say I’m figuring things out too, just in a different way."

I was about to ask more, but before I could, a voice interrupted us.

"Michael! You made it!" A woman’s voice called from behind him, and I glanced up to see a well-dressed woman with dark hair walking over to us.

"Ah, yeah," Michael said, turning to introduce her. "This is Clara. She’s been helping me with some of the projects while I was abroad."

I extended my hand to Clara, offering a polite smile. "Nice to meet you."

Clara smiled warmly in return, shaking my hand. "You too! Michael’s been telling me about his old friends from here. It’s nice to finally meet you."

I smiled, though there was a tinge of unease in the back of my mind. "Yeah, we go way back."

The tension I felt earlier seemed to shift, like an invisible weight had lifted just a little. We spent a few more minutes chatting, the conversation moving between casual updates and some talk about the artwork in the gallery. But I couldn’t help but notice the little moments of eye contact between Michael and Clara.

It wasn’t until later, when the conversation had drifted to other topics, that I realized how much I had missed just talking to Michael. I found myself laughing more than I thought I would, easing into the familiarity of his presence again.

At one point, Michael turned back to me. "Hey, Alexis," he said, his voice a little softer now. "Would you... want to grab a drink later? Just to catch up some more, if you're free?"

I paused for a moment, my thoughts racing. The thought of spending more time with Michael felt like a good idea, but there was still that uncertainty lingering.

"Sure," I said, surprising myself. "That sounds good."

It was just the two of us now, walking around the gallery, laughing and chatting. I missed this—just goofing around with him, the easy banter.

As we walked, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. In front of me, there she was—Ms. Celeste. But what caught me off guard even more was the man standing beside her. Is that her boyfriend? I thought, my heart racing.

I wasn’t sure what to feel—surprised, a little awkward, maybe even jealous? I hadn’t expected to see her here, especially not with someone else. Should I say something? Or just pretend I didn’t see them? I couldn’t decide, so I just stood there, frozen for a moment.

Michael, sensing my shift in energy, turned to follow my gaze. When he saw Ms. Celeste and her companion, he raised an eyebrow and then turned back to me. "Everything okay?" he asked, his voice low.

"Huh... yeah, I'm fine," I smiled at Michael, trying to shake off the sudden tension in the air.

I quickly looked away from Ms. Celeste and her companion, hoping they hadn’t noticed me staring. After a brief pause, Michael and I continued walking around the gallery, but I couldn’t fully focus on the conversation anymore. My mind kept drifting back to what I had just seen. Is that really her boyfriend?

I tried to act normal, but I could feel the unease creeping in.

Michael, sensing the change in my demeanor, kept glancing over at me with a concerned expression, but I tried my best to push the unsettling thoughts away. After all, I didn’t know what was going on between Ms. Celeste and this guy, so maybe it was just a coincidence. Still, the image of them together lingered in my mind.

"So," Michael said, his voice casual but probing, "you good? You seem a little distracted."

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine... probably just tired. Can we just go home?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Let’s just meet again when I’m free and when you are too."

Michael looked at me, sensing something was off, but he didn’t push it. "Sure, no problem," he said with a reassuring smile.

I appreciated the gesture, but inside, I just needed to get away from everything for a bit. The gallery, the sight of Ms. Celeste with that guy—it all felt like too much to process at once. I just wanted some space to clear my head.

:))

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