Page 67 of Don’t Forget Me

She helped me see just how rotten I’d been inside. And it hadn’t been my father’s fault. I couldn’t blame him. I chose to be that person. But since then, I have chosen to be the man I knew she would love.

I waited five years to be who she wanted me to be.

Those five years had been hell for me. Living 1,827 days without her had been far too long. I felt like I’d run out of oxygen when I watched her push me away in the hallway at Blackthorn House Academy.

It had been like she’d disappeared off the face of the Earth. Because of that, I made sure to be in the spotlight as much as I could be. Social media, news, TV, interviews. I did as much as I could so I could remind her how much she still meant to me.

She is unforgettable.

I truly hope she remembers me.

I’ll never forget her.

I hoped she understood all of the clues I left for her in my interviews. It was impossible not to call to her when I realized that wherever I turned, her shadow accompanied me.

I clearly remembered the nights I would wake up miserable from dreaming of her. Only for me to see her on a crisp autumn afternoon, with her ginger fiancé at a ring store. I’m certain he was her boyfriend at the time.

She’d been jumping in place as she admired the pear-shaped ring on her finger. I remembered the sparkle in her eyes when she examined the diamond. The green-eyed man beside her kissed her deeply right before me. I could never pass through that street again.

However, I harbored a deep indignation within me for having lost her.

I had to get to know her again. She had to know that I regretted everything I had done. Which was why I was here. Leading the project of her dreams, so that she could know that she still haunted mine.

“Now waiting on the director,” a monotonous voice said through my walkie-talkie. I jolted out of my nostalgia.

“Pardon. Is everyone in their places? Cameras ready?” I received multiple nods. “Ready, set, action!”

I glanced toward Lysandra, who had looked away as I set my eyes on her. I heard laughter erupting among the actors in the scene, which meant I would have to walk in soon and guide them through the next steps. I sighed.

“That was a very productive day, wasn’t it?” she asked as she fixed her dark curls.

“It was,” I replied. This was my chance. She was speaking to me; she had been in a good mood for the entire day. Perhaps my opportunity was dangling right in front of me.

What could I tell her? How could I seize the moment? I had already asked about her fiancé, her best friend, and her upcoming novel. No, I had to begin a conversation that would potentially lead to another topic.

Then, I remembered of her guilty pleasure. “Would you like to get some coffee?”

She never rejected coffee. She had to say yes. Please say yes.

Lysandra’s sharp eyes turned to me, she curved her mouth upward. “Of course.”

I’d been surprised. “Really? You’re accepting my request to get coffee at this hour? It’s almost midnight.”

“It’s never too late and never too early for coffee.” She shrugged. The black eyeliner around her eyes made them even more captivating. Her dark turtleneck combined perfectly with her black and white pencil skirt, with a pair of matching leggings. She’d been wearing her usual pair of loafers; they must’ve been her favorite.

The heels of her shoes clicked along the pavement in unison with my own.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked almost immediately.

“You already did.” I beamed.

Lysandra slightly pushed my shoulder. “I’m serious.”

“Ask away, Guerrera.”

Her brow twitched, and so did her lips. Was she holding back a smile? I couldn’t tell.

“Do you think you could tell me more about yourself?” Lysandra questioned.