Chapter 10%
As the private jet landed, a nostalgic feeling settled in my heart. It had been a long time since I was back here in my hometown.% A small smile crossed my lips the moment I stepped off the jet. I inhaled deeply in contentment. I had really missed this place.
I glanced around the almost empty airport, looking for Zander, who my father said he would send to pick me up. My eyes landed on a man standing a few feet away.”
The man leaned casually on a sleek black car. He was tall, broad–shouldered, and he stood with his hands in his pockets as if he owned the space around him.
His dark eyes watched me with an unreadable look in them, sending a shiver through my body.”
I hesitated, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. Who was that?”
My father said he would send Zander to pick me up. So who was this?!
He looked familiar, but I couldn’t recognize him. There was something in the way he watched me, as if he knew exactly who I was.
I walked slowly towards the man, trying to understand why he looked familiar. A thought nagged in my head, but I pushed it back. It couldn’t be.
The man smiled in amusement when he noticed the confused look on my face, but he stayed silent.}
My eyes narrowed as I walked closer to him. His eyes were so familiar, and that smile–that smile reminded me of someone. But it couldn’t be, right?
Then the man spoke.”
“Ella, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me.” His deep voice said coolly.
My breath caught. I recognized that voice. Those eyes, that mischievous smile, and that nickname–Gabe.}
There was only one person who ever called me that, the only person who was stubborn enough to use it because he knew how much I hated it.
I inhaled sharply. “Zander?“>
His smile widened. “In the flesh, Gabe.”
My mind raced. The boy I had once known, the chubby and cute kid who followed me around was gone.}
He had been replaced by a man. A very handsome man with sharp jawline and dark blue eyes. He was no longer the shy and awkward boy that I remembered, now he stood confidently.
I gulped, and I gripped my bag tightly. It had been seven years, and he had changed the most.
I knew I was gaping, but I couldn’t help it. Zander was completely different.
Zander sighed dramatically. “Stop gaping like that. You look like a fish.”
I snapped my mouth shut, scowling at him. “I do not.”
His grin widened. “You absolutely do.”
I muttered, “You could’ve at least given me a little warning. So I would know that you now look like some Greek god.“}
His grin faded slightly, and his eyes dimmed a little.
Guilt settled in my chest, because I knew why.
We hadn’t talked in years. Not because we fought, not because we had drifted naturally, but because I had faded out of his life without an explanation.
After I left this town, we still kept in touch. But because Thomas had felt uncomfortable with me talking to him. I started distancing myself from him. I never called again, and I hardly picked his calls.
I couldn’t tell Zander that, though. Because I didn’t want to talk about Thomas. So I forced a small smile and said the only thing I could.
“I’m sorry Zander, I really am.” I said softly.”
Zander shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “Yeah, well… I figured you finally got tired of me.” His tone was teasing, but there was something else.
I winced. I knew I messed up.”
Before I could say anything, he turned and opened the car door. “Come on, Gabe. Get in before I change my mind and leave you stranded as a way of revenge.” His tone was light.
I hesitated for a split second before climbing in. Zander entered the driver’s seat.”
“Buckle up,” he muttered, turning on the car.”
I couldn’t help staring at him as he drove out of the airport. He looked so different, but the way he bit his lip and furrowed his eyebrows as he focused on the road, reminded me that he was still Zander.
“I can feel you staring at me, Gabe.” Zander muttered, still keeping his eyes on the road. “Come on, I know I look hot, but you need to control yourself and stop drooling.” He teased me.
I rolled my eyes, leaning back into my seat. “I see that you’re still as insufferable as ever.”
He snorted in amusement.2
As the car pulled up to my father’s estate, I smiled. I was finally home.“>
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