Suddenly Looking Back, The Lights Grow Dim

5

Her words made sense.

I went to the mall and bought a one-size smaller bracelet. The sales clerk struggled to get it on me. Within minutes, my wrist had a red mark.

It was time for a little act of self-pity.

But Grayson wasn't at the station. The firefighter who greeted me said, "Someone is jumping off a building at the Hershey Group. Grayson went there himself."

He stopped me and asked, "Miss, do you know Grayson?"

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Why do you ask?"

He said, "He has a picture of you in his wallet. It's yellowed with age, but he still can't throw it away. He's stared at it countless times." He pulled out a wallet with a gossipy look on his face and said, "Look, Grayson dropped it in his rush to leave."

The photo showed me at eighteen. I wore my school uniform, standing under a tree with dappled light. I looked peaceful and beautiful.

My heart warmed. A silent heat spread through me, turning into a burning sensation.

As I reached the apartment complex's entrance, I saw a crowd gathered under a neighboring building. In the distance, I spotted a lone figure sitting on the rooftop.

Grayson's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Get a cup of milkshake, three-quarters sugar."

I waved the milkshake in my hand at the firefighter next to me and said, "I'll take it up."

The person on the other end immediately refused, "No unauthorized personnel allowed up here."

The girl suddenly got agitated and said, "Don't come any closer. None of you come near me."

The figure in orange was stuck and unable to move forward or back. He said, "Okay, I promise. I won't move forward. Please don't get excited."

They were close enough to talk directly.

My heart skipped a beat. The figure at the edge of the rooftop was Grayson.

I didn't think twice and ran towards the elevator.

It was my first time seeing Grayson in his firefighter uniform. It scared me to death, even though he was wearing a safety harness.

Grayson reached out his hand to me and said, "Give it to me."

I waved him off and took small steps closer to the girl, handing her the milkshake and trying to calm her down. I said, "Tell me, why are you upset?"

She shook her head and said, "You don't understand."

I carefully asked, "Is it about school, life, or... something about feelings?"

At the mention of that, I noticed her gaze soften slightly.

She asked, "Do you and your boyfriend fight?"

I glanced at Grayson and said, "We did, but we broke up after just one fight."

She lowered her head and said sadly, "Love is that fragile."

Grayson understood my hint and subtly moved behind the girl. I continued to distract her and said, "But breaking up doesn't always mean you don't love each other."

I watched Grayson's countdown gesture and continued, "Sometimes, it's just something you can't avoid."

He suddenly grabbed the girl from behind. I quickly moved to the side, giving them plenty of space.

"Ah!" The girl screamed, then burst into tears.

My heart settled back down. I knelt to comfort her and said, "Don't lose hope. He and I were apart for four years, and we rekindled our old feelings."

The girl looked surprised. Her gaze shifted back and forth between us. But Grayson's expression darkened with a hint of coldness.

The rooftop was left with just me and Grayson.

He stared at me with a stormy look in his eyes. He said, "Susan, are you out of your mind?"

His words stung with bitterness. But I kept a bright smile and said, "Yeah! I miss you. I've love-sickness."

Grayson said, "You're crazy." He then left.

I jogged to catch up with him and managed to squeeze into the same elevator with him.

When it came to flirting with Grayson, I was never tired of it.

I asked, "Why didn't you accept my WhatsApp request?"

He said, "Do we need to keep in touch?" His voice was completely cold.

I extended my left hand in front of him and said, "Grayson, can you help me out?"

There was already a deep mark on my wrist.

His gaze tightened, and a fleeting hint of pain flashed in his eyes.

Got him. He felt sorry for me.

Grayson carefully cut the bracelet off. I winced in pain, and he disinfected the spot where the hydraulic cutter had rubbed my skin raw and then applied a band-aid, all while saying, "So dramatic."

"A man who says one thing and means another. Why is that so attractive?"

I waved a two-inch photo in my hand and said in a choked, raspy voice, "You haven't forgotten, right?"

He reached out to grab it.

People were passing by, but Grayson just stood there. He gave me a sideways glance with a dark, almost frightening look in his eyes.

After a moment, he curled his lips into a mocking smile and said with cold indifference, "Thanks for reminding me. I've been meaning to clean out my wallet."

He snatched the photo from me when I wasn't expecting it. He crumpled it in his fist and tossed it into the trash. It was as if all our past memories were thrown away without hesitation.

My heart plummeted to the bottom, shattering into pieces.

I forced a smile and turned to leave, saying, "Thanks, Mr. Stewart. I'm leaving." I held back the tears that were about to fall.