切ㄨㄛˋ
Shannon’s POV
There was no way I was getting out of this conversation today.}
Putting down my cutlery, I met Clayton’s steady, intense gaze. Taking a deep breath, I gathered my thoughts and told him the answer I’d spent all night coming up with.@
“That message was written by a fourteen–year–old Clayton for a fourteen–year–old Shannon. But we’re not those kids anymore. Clayton, what’s lost is lost.“}
His face tensed with urgency the moment he heard my words. Even his voice sped up, like he was afraid I wouldn’t let him explain.§ “Shannon, it’s not like that. The fact that we have this moment now means we didn’t really miss our chance, don’t you think?“}
Those hopeful eyes left me speechless for a moment. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t the same girl I used to be. After everything that happened with Rusty and Gale, my ability to love had been chipped away. Half of me didn’t even know how to care anymore. And someone like that didn’t deserve Clayton’s heart.
Not after I shamelessly leaned on him all this time. How could I ask for anything more than what he’d already given?}
But he wasn’t ready to let go. His eyes locked onto mine, and word by word, he laid bare the years of feelings he’d carried in silence.}] “Shannon, I tried to find you twice,” he started.
“The first time was when we were filling out college applications. I wanted to ask if you were still planning on going to the university we talked about. But when I saw you’d changed your choice, I figured you didn’t want to see me.” His voice died down at the last sentence. “The second time was at your wedding to Rusty. I saw the happiness in your eyes and realized that staying hidden was the kindest thing I could do. But when I turned to leave, I swear, it felt like my heart was being torn out.”
I didn’t say a word, but something in my expression must’ve softened, and he noticed that. Clayton had always known I couldn’t resist kindness. So he leaned in, letting down every wall, showing me all the hurt and longing he’d bottled up over the years.”
the
“I kept my number the same, even though I knew the chances of you calling were close to zero. I’m not asking you to decide anything right now. I just want a chance to pursue you again.“>
His words melted the rejection I’d been ready to give. I could only swallow it back, pretending I hadn’t heard.”
Like a turtle retreating into its shell, I curled inward and stayed silent.
Clayton, ever the patient hunter, knew not to spook his prey. He gave me space to breathe.
Still, I tried pulling back, reducing how much time we spent together. But every time I got stuck on a script or content idea, he’d offer the perfect suggestion, and before I knew it, we’d been talking for over an hour.
After memorizing my lines and practicing countless takes, I finally set up the camera and stood in front of it again.}
But within the first five minutes, I froze. My body stiffened, and my mind went blank. In a panic, I glanced at Clayton.
He immediately stepped in, took over the camera, and gently encouraged me to start again.}
Looking into his eyes behind the lens, I gradually calmed down. This time, I nailed it in one flawless take.
From that day on, Clayton became my personal cameraman, sticking with me through every shoot, every edit, every location.
Maybe the universe took pity on me because, by the third video, I finally had a viral hit, and the views just kept coming. Then came a funny twist.
One day, Clayton appeared briefly on camera while handing me something. That was all it took, and the comments exploded. People started shipping us, hard. Some fans even made edits of our glances and micro–expressions, convinced there was something romantic going on.
Just when I was about to clarify things in the comments, I saw that he’d already hit the like button on the comments.}
That set off a frenzy, and people started calling him “idol” like it was already official.
I stared down at the explanation I’d typed, feeling the heat of Clayton’s unwavering gaze on me. My face flushed, and my ears turned red. I didn’t even dare to look up.
Noticing, he let out a soft chuckle and wisely stepped out to order food. He knew that if he pushed any more, I’d just blow up out of embarrassment.
Only after he left did I finally lift my head.
But in the end, I deleted the explanation I’d written.
Just then, a message popped up on my phone. It was from my lawyer.”
[Miss McCarthy, the donation paperwork has been finalized.]
[We’ve also received word that Mr. Kelley has gotten your address and already booked the next flight. Please stay safe.]
