Not mentioning it would have been fine. However, once he did, Mikel Anderson started coughing even more severely. She stopped him and moved a bit to the side, creating some distance between them.
Feeling rejected, Gregory Smith said: "..."
He asked, "Do you really dislike me that much?"
Mikel shook her head, "No."
Seeing her denying it, Gregory felt slightly better. "I just want to start dating you again. I have no other intentions. Also..." He paused at this point, looked into Mikel's eyes, and said earnestly, "I've thought about it seriously during this time, where I went wrong, and I realized that I shouldn't have disrespected you."
Mikel probably never expected that last sentence.
He actually realized how disrespectful he had been to her that night.
Then, the next moment, Gregory suddenly leaned in close to her and softly asked, "Can we get back together? Or, let's forget about defining our relationship last time and make it official tonight?"
