IV.

Jae POV

“I missed you.”

That was the first thing I said, without thinking, at all.

I didn’t know what to say.

I couldn’t say anything else.

Or perhaps I have so much to say to her that all I know how to say at that point in time was “I missed you” amongst all the other thoughts I had. They say that the heart speaks before the mind does, and this time round it does once again. I want to hug her, to pull her into my arms and to lay my chin atop of her soft hair once again but I find myself floored. It’s been too long since I last saw Lynn, and I had to take a good look at her once again.

Lynn still looks the same. Except that this time round her hair falls in waves across her back instead of the usual straight cut that she had back then. But otherwise, she looks just like how she did 10 years ago when I left her.

Still as beautiful,

Still as flawless.

“So… how you’ve been Jae? It’s good to see you again.”

“I…eh…I’ve been good, yea. Good to see you again too Lynn.” I manage a small smile at the end of my sentence and she raises the corners of her lips ever so slightly for me.

I think of all the things I want to say to her and I open my mouth to do so, but nothing comes out. It can’t. How could any words in this world possibly express my feelings fully for the love of my life that was standing right in front of me right now?

This is the mind-boggling effect Lynn has on me; she can just stand there and not do anything, and still render me speechless. She is the only one in this whole wide world that can do this to me.

Stepping closer, I finally decide to stop looking for the perfect words to say and just be honest with my heart.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

“You could say the same for yourself. You look really good Jae.”

“Thank my stylist instead. They can transform the sloppy me into…this. I’m still the same you know?”

“Baggy sweatshirts and jeans with an obsession for plaid outerwear?”

I crack a smile as I shake my head and let my eyes drop to the floor. She knows me too well.

“You got that right.”

“I should know better.”

“Yea you should.”

The nervousness lingers in the air between us and I have so much more to say to her but this isn’t a good place to say them all.

“When are you free Lynn? Let’s head out together some time? I want to talk to you, catch up you know?”

“I…eh…” She looks away for a moment to push her hair behind her ears and that’s when I see it.

The unmistakable glint of a diamond ring on her left ring finger.

The rest of my words die in my throat and all I manage to do is croak out one question.

“You’re married now?”

“Yea… it’s been about 5 years.”

I can see from her eyes that she didn’t intend for me to know that but even now that I’ve found out, she doesn’t try to hide it