Angelica startled to a halt, her heart almost leaping out of it's space, and the grip on her bag firmly tightening to a squeeze.
She stood still. She had not expected he'd come after her, that he'd call her or have anything to say to her, because she didn't.
Snapping out of her daze, she resumed her strides, her steps quickened as he approached even closer.
"Angelica, wait!" He beckoned, almost demanding, but she wasn't going to. Not anymore.
He had lost every right to tell her what to do.
Just a few more steps, she calculated and she was very certain she'd make it, before a hand snatched her by the arm.
"Angelica." He called out her name one more time, and her body spun around to face him. His midnight blue eyes came in view, bright, still and piercing, and she found herself staring at them. At him.
"I've been hollering your name, and I can swear you heard me." Well, she did, and it'd be stupid to even deny it.
"I'm not obligated to answer every call of my name." She said and lowered her gaze to his hand with a slit. "Let go of me, will you?" He loosened his grip and she snatched her arm away.
"I'm sorry." Sebastian apologized, his countenance evident of his emotion. "I was... just surprised to see you." He said in that same apologetic tone.
Angelica retreated a step away from him. She was equally as surprised as he was, because never in her life had she imagined ever encountering him the way she had, and have him closely staring at her.
"Just so you know, the surprise is mutual. And now that we've established that, I've got to go."
"Wait!" He caught her by the hand again, but he quickly let go when she lasered a glare at his hand.
Sebastian could no longer ignore it, neither could he deny it. Angelica was different. Not only in her appearance, but in her eyes. There was an unusual intensity in them. Glazing vigour in her voice, and a strange spunk looming around her. Nothing about her seemed familiar, save alone the face.
"We need to talk." He said.
"I doubt there's anything left for us to talk about."
"Yes, there is." He paused, and Angelica slightly raised a brow. "You... you left." There was a fall in his voice, something that hinted at anxiety, but Sebastian wasn't one to be anxious, so she ignored it.
"I don't see what's there to talk about. I left and that's all there was to it." Sebastian could argue that. Words pressed on his lips, but he stopped himself.
"I know you rather not talk to me, but..."
But what? Angelica mused when he trailed off. Her mind annoyingly curious to hear whatever he was struggling to or not to say. And it was good he knew she'd rather not speak with him.
Impatiently, she waited. A sardonic smile crept on her face. "There. You have nothing to say."
There was a hint of mockery in her tone, but Sebastian took no offence because she was right.
He had nothing to say, or maybe he did, but he had no idea how to say whatever he should say. Or maybe he felt obligated to say something after coincidentally meeting her.
He had long thought about this moment for the past four years and now when it was finally here, he was tongue-tied.
"Could we talk somewhere else? I mean somewhere private we could just sit and talk."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think we have anything to say to one another."
"Angelica—"
"We're divorced." She reminded him. "And when people get divorced they have nothing to say to one another. They become distant than strangers." She said and turned to leave.
"I'm sorry." He blurted out and that stopped her on her heels. She slightly turned.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry." He said again, this time much more in a whisper. He didn't know how long he had wanted to say that, but maybe he could say since he walked out the door without giving her the explanation he deserved, and he had foolishily slammed the door to her face.
Angelica had not expected it. Not the look in his eyes. Not the softness in his voice, and definitely not an apology.
"And what exactly are you sorry for, Sebastian? You did nothing wrong. I was the one who wanted more when you already made it clear you couldn't. It was my fault and I should be the one apologizing."
"Angelica—" He started to say again, but she interjected him with a shake of her head.
"There's nothing left to say. Have a good day, Mr Croft. It was good seeing you again." That was a lie she didn't want to tell, but somewhere inside of her she'd undeniably admit she was relieved to see him well.
His eyes were calm on her, deeply peering with an unreadable gaze. Once again she was unnecessarily curious to know what was going through his mind, even though she shouldn't. As a matter of fact she should be on her way.
Turning away to leave once more, she paused and fully turned to him. Her eyes squarely holding his.
"And just for heads up, I won't be giving up this job." She told him and Sebastian obediently nodded slightly taking her by surprise.
"I wouldn't want you to do that either." From how serious she had looked at him, he had long known she wouldn't, and he had been counting on that.
"Since we have that sorted out, I'll be on my way. See you around, Mr Croft. And I hope when we do, it would be less awkward than this." She perked up a brow at him.
Sebastian gazed at her. Hell! She was different. There was an assertiveness he had never seen before. Every squirmish trait that had accessorised her were gone, save that aura which still had that hint of innocence.
He proffered a hand, "Yes, I believe it would be less awkward." But he believed it might be more awkward, because how was he to tell her that they weren't divorced!
He still hadn't forgotten the weight he felt when he got served. Nor the guilt and shame he had carried these past three years knowing he had bent the rules to fool her.
There was so much that had kept him away from finding her, from seeing her. And now that he had, he knew he had to right his wrong.
He waited as she stared at his hand, and with hesitation in her eyes she slowly received his hand. She flinched when he tightened his grip around her arm.
"See you around, Angelica." He muttered, and that silky edge around his voice caused a jolt in her spine.
She swallowed. "Erm, yeah. See you around." And as if she had been scalded, she snatched away her hand and hurried away as if on a chase.
As he watched her leave, Sebastian knew exactly what he had to do. He might have met her by coincidence after shying away for years, but he wasn't going to do so anymore.
Now he had a chance to undo his wrongs and mistakes, and he wasn't going to let it go.