…..

  "Hey, Gwendolyn, pull over to the side here for a sed, will you?" Regal said, leaning slightly forward in his seat.

  Gwendolyn g him, her hands steady oeering wheel.

  "The venieore? Why?" She asked, already easing off the accelerator as she reached for the gear shift.

  "I want to pick up some refreshments for the few days." Regal replied casually, motioning toward the small store ahead.

  "Huh? Okay." She shifted the car into park.

  Regal opehe door and stepped out but paused mid-motion. "You wait-"

  Before he could finish, Gwendolyn unbuckled her seatbelt. "Nah, I will e with you. Sitting in the car sounds b."

  "Suit yourself." Regal said, closing the door behind him as Gwendolyn stepped out as well.

  The two walked toward the store.

  As soon as Regal stepped through the door of the venieore, Jordan, the store clerk, leaned casually against the ter, a smirk spreading across his face.

  "Got kicked out already?"

  Regal didn't respond, his expression carefully bnk as he walked past Jordan and headed straight for the aisles.

  He methodically filled his basket with instant noodles, bread, and ed goods, the items piling up quickly, enough to st at least a week.

  Trailing behind at a more leisurely pace, Gwendoly her eyes wander over the shelves. Her brow lifted slightly at the sheer volume of fal was stuffing into his basket, but she didn't say anything.

  Instead, she drifted toward a dispy of y items he ter, her fingers lightly brushing over a few tris as her i lingered.

  "You seem familiar with the wendolyn remarked, her voice light but probing, her gaze flig toward Jordan.

  The man was slouched behind the ter, exuding the energy of someone who had long since mastered the art of doing nothing.

  The store was quiet, amplifying her words enough for Jordan to catch them.

  Jordan chuckled, the sound slow and amused, his grin widening as he propped his elbow on the ter. "Oh, that brat? He used to work here part-time until a few months back."

  Regal shot him a dry, unimpressed look over his shoulder but didn't bother to reply.

  And as he expected, Jorda going. "Don't let him fool you, dy. He used to sneak snacks when no one was looking."

  Gwendolyn's lips twitched with the hint of a smile as she tural, who was now plug a few more s off the shelf.

  With his basket nearly overflowing, Regal strode to the ter and dumped his haul down with a ctter. "You are still going on about that? I left because I had better things to do. Like not w here."

  Jordan smirked, his eyes flig between Regal and Gwendolyn with newfound i. "So, who's the dy?"

  Gwendolyn's eyes lit up with pyful mischief as she leaned slightly against the ter, turnitention to Jordan befal could cut in.

  "Actually." She began smoothly, her tone casual but deliberate. "I used to be his girlfriend. But he dumped me."

  Regal froze, one hand mid-air as he reached for his wallet.

  His other hand instinctively smacked his forehead in a cssic facepalm.

  Jordan, eyebrows raised in genuine surprise, broke into a grin. "Man, you got some balls of steel to dump a dy like her."

  Regal let out a dry ugh, shaking his head as he finally pulled out his wallet. "Do you really believe her? She is messing with you. I mean, look at her, does she seem like someone in their right mind would dump?"

  Gwendolyn's lips curled into a sly smile, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head ever so slightly.

  "Oh? Is that what you really think, Regal?" She leaned forward, her gaze sharp and teasing, her tone ced with mock challenge.

  "Tsk, alright, alright, stop flirting in front of me!" Jordan groaned with exaggerated exasperation, waving his hands dramatically. He handed over the bag of groceries, shaking his head. "Take it outside, lovebirds."

  Regal rolled his eyes, grabbing the bag with an air of feigned annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get jealous."

  Gwendolyn chuckled, leaning on the ter as the banter tinued. "You know, I think I like this pice atmosphere, good snacks, and a great sense of humor behind the ter. You have got good taste in former workpces, boyfriend. Oh, sorry, ex-boyfriend."

  Regal cast her a sidelong gnce, his lips tugging upward as he struggled to suppress a smirk.

  Yeah, he wasn't going to let that slide. Time to do something about it.

  The door jingled as they stepped out, Regal walking ahead as Gwendolyn followed, her ughter trailing behind them.

  Jordan shook his head, leaning back against the ter with an amused grin. "Man, that guy's life must be one wild ride."

  ….

  Regal stopped a few steps from the car, the bags in his hands shifting slightly as he adjusted his grip.

  His gaze flicked twendolyn, who had also e to a halt, standing just a short distance away.

  The streetmp above cast a soft, golden glow over her, catg the loose strands of her blonde hair as they shifted in the breeze.

  For a moment, he fot himself, his attention lingering on her.

  She was beautiful, just as he remembered from their college days, maybe even more so now.

  His chest tightened, but he forced himself to snap out of it.

  Memories of her antics, the pyfulness, and the questions she left unanswered, came rushing back.

  His expression hardened, and his grip on the bags tightened.

  Enough was enough.

  "Alright, Gwendolyn." He said, his tone even but unmistakably edged. "What's your deal?"

  She tilted her head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the ers of her lips. "My deal?"

  Regal sighed, the tension in his jaw momentarily easing before returning as he tinued.

  "I don't know what you are trying to do. But... I o say something." He paused, shifting his stance, as though steadying himself for what was about to e.

  "My whole life, I have managed not to fall for anyone." He admitted, his tone quieter but steady. "Sure, I would appreciate their looks or whatever. But I always kept a line. Never let it go beyond that."

  He hesitated, then added with a small, self-depreg ugh. "I kept it that way because… I never had the guts to actually say how I felt. So, I figured it was easier to just shut it all down, less messy that way, you know? Less ce of wastiions on someone who might not feel the same."

  His eyes dropped for a brief sed before meeting hers agaiermination flickering in his gaze. "And you know what? That worked. For years, it worked. Until now."

  Gwendolyn's smirk softened, her expression unreadable, but she didn't interrupt.

  Regal exhaled, the words tumbling out now. "What I am trying to figure out is... am I imagining this? Or are you hinting at somethiween us?" He paused, gng away briefly before adding with a hint of wry humor.

  "Because if I am wrong, I swear I will die of embarrassment. You won't see me for a week, but after that, I will be bay usual self, I promise." He half-smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

  There was a long pause.

  "...." Regal.

  "...." Gwendolyn stood just as still, like she had turned into stone.

  Over the years, Gwendolyn had heard her fair share of fessions: the sweet, the awkward, the dramatid even the weird ones.

  But this?

  This was defihe weirdest of them all.

  That was saying something sidering the high bar that had already bee.

  Yet, somehow, she hadn't seen it ing.

  Not fral. Not so suddenly.

  They had started w together a couple of months ago, just a handful of weeks spent in te-night brainst sessions and tless hours fiuning the book unch.

  She had felt as attached to the project as he had.

  It was their shared thing.

  Their baby.

  Over that time, the bad-forth professional banter had bee their usual routihe kind of dynamic that, after a while, left her feeling as though life had beonotonous, especially in the past few weeks.

  But then, something shifted. Gwendolyn noticed the small details, the way Regal's tone would ge when he spoke to her, the way his eyes would linger just a moment too long whehought she wasn't paying attention.

  It didn't take long for her to put the pieces together.

  Regal had once had a crush on her during their college days.

  Strangely, she felt eted by that realization, but it was fleeting. The etion quickly turned into disappoi. She could tell he had moved on from that old attra, and it left her feeling oddly defted.

  But she hadn't given up.

  No, she had been pushing him, teasing him, trying to coax whatever feelings he might have buried back to the surface.

  In hindsight, maybe she had gooo far today.

  The way she had teased him, pying her usual games without sidering how it might affect him.

  Now, here they were. Regal, standing in front of her, waiting for a response.

  "Like I said." Regal began again, his voice a little more awkward now. "If it's a no–!"

  "No!" Gwendolyn cut him off, her voice firm but ced with something else - an edge of vulnerability. "It's not a no, you dummy junior!"

  The words hung in the air.

  Regal didn't wait for another moment.

  The bags slipped from his hands with a soft thud, and in one quient, he pulled her into his arms.

  Gwendolyn froze, surprise flooding her system, but as his arms ed tightly arouhe warmth felt oddly f.

  Her face rested against his chest, her ear just above his heart, where she could hear its frantic rhythm.

  Regal's grip loosened slightly, but he didn't let go.

  Gwendolyn's fingers curled instinctively against his shirt.

  Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out. "So what now? A kiss, then?"

  Her eyes widened in horror, heat rushing to her face. 'Oh God, why did I say that?'

  She cursed herself inwardly. Her heart pounded as she scrambled to recover. "I didn't mean that! I just–"

  But Regal wasn't embarrassed.

  Instead, he smiled, a lopsided grin that made his face light up. Gwendolyn's mind short-circuited.

  She bit her lip. She had alrided herself on keeping her cool, but in this moment, she felt like an awkward teenager again.

  Before she could think too much, Regal closed the gap between them.

  Her eyes fluttered shut as his breath caught, and without a word, they met halfway.

  It wasn't rushed, but it wasn't hesitaher. A soft, tentative kiss, fragile.

  She could feel his warmth, the hesitation in his kiss, as if he was waiting for her to pull back if she o.

  But she didn't.

  As the kiss tinued, all the awkwardness, all the nerves, started to melt away.

  When they finally pulled apart, her spoke at first. Gwendolyn opened her eyes to find Regal staring at her, a mix of wonder and disbelief pying across his features.

  "Sal said, his voice quieter now. "Does that t as a yes?"

  Her voice dropped, pyful but certain. "Yeah, it does. And you are stuck with me. For the rest of your life."

  Regal's griurned, his fidening ba waves. "Noted."

  Before the moment could stret any longer, a loud voice pierced the air, sharp and anding.

  "Hey, you two!" Jordan's voied from the store's entrance, his frame blog the doorway as he crossed his arms, gring. "Take your lovey-dovey nonsense somewhere else! This is a store, not a movie set!"

  Regal turned, irritation fshing across his face. "Mind your own business. You are just bitter because your wife left you, old man!"

  Jordan raised an eyebrow, his expression unimpressed as he stepped forward. "Oh, yeah? What was that? Care to repeat it, kid?"

  Regal rolled his eyes and waved him off like a pesky fly, stepping closer to Gwendolyn.

  Gwendolyn stifled a ugh with amusement as she offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. We will leave now."

  She turo walk away but paused midway, gng back with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh, and for the record, I am not his ex anymore."

  With that, they have walked off.

  Jordan muttered something under his breath, throwing a grumpy wave as he retreated into his store.

  Regal sighed, turning to Gwendolyn as a sheepish grin repced his earlier frustration. "That was just rubbing salt on him, Gwen."

  "That wasn't my iion." She replied truthfully.

  He just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, anyway. I will drive."

  Gwendolyn nodded, handing over the keys, and within moments, the car was on the road.

  The air inside felt lighter, freer now.

  .

  ….

  [To be tinued…]

  ★─────??★??─────★

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