His deep black eyes seemed to emit a faint glimmer in the dim light, his eyebrows raised slightly. Moonlight filtered in, casting a soft halo. His features appeared as if crafted by the finest artist with a lifetime of dedication, flawless and impeccable.
Lena felt as though she saw the same young man from four years ago under this moonlight, waiting for her to come out of the library, just like before, under the streetlights.
Back then, no matter how late it was, Grayson would always come to pick her up, be it from the library or her workplace. Lena always felt at ease and warm-hearted, knowing her big guy was waiting for her. Grayson always carefully guarded Lena, never allowing her to suffer the slightest grievance.
But one day, that protector of hers vanished without a trace, leaving no clue behind. If it weren't for the presence of little Helen by her side, Lena would have doubted if Grayson had ever existed, thinking it was all a dream she conjured.
Grayson intentionally coughed, bringing Lena's thoughts back. Lena awkwardly averted her gaze, lowering her head to quickly gather her belongings. Nervousness often led to mistakes, and in her haste, a photo slipped out from the inner layer of her bag. Lena was about to bend down to pick it up when Grayson beat her to it. The back of the photo read, "The most beautiful time, eternal memories." Grayson thought it was a picture of Lena with another man. Flipping it over, his hand trembled involuntarily. It was no mistake; the man in the photo was him, Grayson.
"Lena, should you explain what this is about?" Grayson remembered this photo. It was taken during their sophomore year, on a weekend when Grayson had plans to play basketball with his roommates. But Lena, with her persistent persuasion, had convinced Grayson to accompany her to the library to find some research materials.
At that time, Lena had signed up for a design competition and was constantly busy at the library. Finally reaching the weekend, Lena dragged him to the library, considering it their library date. Since not many students visited the library on weekends, they sat by the window. Sunlight streamed in, casting a gentle light on Grayson's face, making him appear princely.
Lena quickly took a photo with her phone and even set it as her phone's wallpaper.
"Um... I... I..." Lena stammered, unable to explain herself.
Snatching the photo from Grayson's hand, she bolted away with a plan.
Walking aimlessly on narrow, chaotic streets, she didn't know where she wanted to go because her mind was full of Grayson, messy and overcrowded, unable to hold anything else. She knew falling in love with Grayson was the most painful thing, thinking she was firm and resolute for these four years. But now she realized her heart had been lost in his tenderness four years ago.
Meeting for the first time in four years, she had fallen for him again. That's why she couldn't bear his contempt, why she was so nervous and fearful in front of him, and why she forced herself to forget his scent when she smelled it.
She knew she would never be able to let go in this lifetime.
Cars whizzed past her, horns blaring, but she paid no attention.