The bookstore looked like it had given up on being remembered.
Dust clung to the windows. The sign above the door leaned slightly to one side, as if even it had grown tired of holding on.
It was quiet.
Too quiet for London.
—
I arrived exactly on time.
Not early. Not late.
Twenty minutes.
—
I didn't go in immediately.
I stood across the street first, watching.
Habit. Instinct.
Or maybe… something new.
—
"Trust it," she had said.
—
Nothing moved.
No one lingered.
No cars slowed down longer than they should.
—
Still…
Something felt… off.
—
Not dangerous.
Not obvious.
Just… different.
—
I crossed the street anyway.
Pushed the door open.
—
A soft bell chimed.
The kind that sounded older than the building itself.
—
Inside…
Dim light.
Stacks of books that hadn't been touched in years.
Air thick with paper and time.
—
And her.
—
Rebecca stood near the back, half-hidden between two shelves.
Her posture was tense.
Not afraid.
Alert.
—
Her eyes met mine instantly.
—
Relief flickered there.
Just for a second.
—
"You came alone," she said.
—
"Yes."
—
A pause.
—
"You waited the full twenty."
—
"Yes."
—
She nodded once.
Like she expected me to say anything else.
—
Silence settled between us.
But it wasn't the same silence from before.
This one had weight.
Edges.
—
"You're being followed," she said quietly.
—
I didn't react outwardly.
"By who?"
—
"I don't know yet."
—
That answer didn't satisfy me.
But I let it sit.
—
"And you?" I asked.
—
"What about me?"
—
"How did you know?"
—
She hesitated.
That alone told me something.
—
"I just… noticed things," she said.
—
"That's not an answer."
—
"It's the only one I have right now."
—
I stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
Just enough to narrow the space between us.
—
"You told me not to come back."
—
"Yes."
—
"But you still told me where to find you."
—
A pause.
—
Her eyes held mine.
"Because you were going to come anyway."
—
I almost smiled.
—
She wasn't wrong.
—
Another silence.
Closer now.
Heavier.
—
"You're not what I thought you were," I said.
—
Her expression didn't change much.
But something in her eyes shifted again.
—
"Neither are you."
—
Fair.
—
We stood like that for a moment.
No movement.
No distance.
—
Just… awareness.
—
"You shouldn't trust me," she said quietly.
—
"I already do."
—
"That's a mistake."
—
"Probably."
—
A breath passed between us.
—
"But I'm still here," I added.
—
Her lips parted slightly.
Like she wanted to say something else.
—
But didn't.
—
Instead…
She stepped closer.
—
Not a lot.
Just enough.
—
The space between us disappeared.
—
And for a second…
Everything else did too.
—
No family.
No system.
No design.
—
Just her.
—
My hand moved before I thought about it.
Rested lightly against her jaw.
—
She didn't pull away.
—
Didn't move at all.
—
"Gregory…" she whispered.
—
Not a warning.
Not a question.
—
Just my name.
—
I leaned in slowly.
Gave her time to stop me.
To step back.
To change everything.
—
She didn't.
—
Our lips met.
—
Not rushed.
Not forced.
—
Careful.
Like neither of us fully understood what we were stepping into.
—
But once it happened…
There was no hesitation left.
—
Her hands found my shirt.
Gripping slightly.
Like she needed something solid.
—
I pulled her closer.
Not hard.
Just enough to feel her there.
—
Real.
—
The kiss deepened.
Not perfect.
Not practiced.
—
Just… honest.
—
And for the first time in a long time…
I felt something I couldn't control.
—
Something that didn't need to be.
—
Time blurred.
The world outside the bookstore disappeared completely.
—
It was just us.
And whatever this was becoming.
—
When we finally pulled back…
Neither of us spoke immediately.
—
Her breathing was uneven.
Mine wasn't much better.
—
She looked at me like she was trying to understand something.
—
Then…
She stepped back.
—
Just one step.
—
But it was enough.
—
"I can't…" she said quietly.
—
The shift was immediate.
Sharp.
—
"What?"
—
She shook her head.
Avoided my eyes.
—
"This is moving too fast."
—
I watched her carefully.
—
"That didn't feel like hesitation," I said.
—
"It wasn't."
—
"Then what is it?"
—
A pause.
Longer this time.
—
"Reality," she said softly.
—
I frowned slightly.
—
"This… isn't simple, Gregory."
—
"I know."
—
"No, you don't."
—
That landed.
—
She stepped back again.
Creating more distance.
—
"I need time," she said.
—
"For what?"
—
"To figure out what this is."
—
I held her gaze.
—
"And if I don't give you that?"
—
She met my eyes again.
Steady now.
—
"Then you lose me."
—
Silence.
—
That was clear.
—
I nodded once.
—
"Take it."
—
She looked surprised.
Just slightly.
—
"I'm serious," I added.
—
Another pause.
—
"Okay," she said quietly.
—
And then…
She left.
—
Just like that.
—
No second look.
No hesitation.
—
Gone.
—
I stood there alone.
Again.
—
But this time…
It felt different.
—
Not empty.
—
Just… unfinished.
—
The next two days stretched longer than they should have.
—
No messages.
No calls.
No sign of her.
—
Nothing.
—
I didn't chase.
Didn't push.
Didn't break the one thing she asked for.
—
Time.
—
But that didn't mean I wasn't thinking.
—
About her.
About us.
About what my father said.
—
"She wasn't supposed to be real."
—
And yet…
That kiss…
—
That wasn't design.
—
That was something else entirely.
—
My phone rang on the third day.
—
Daniel.
—
I answered immediately.
—
"Gregory…"
—
His voice told me everything before the words did.
—
"What happened?"
—
A pause.
—
"It's your father."
—
Silence.
—
"He didn't make it."
—
The words landed quietly.
—
No impact.
No immediate reaction.
—
Just… stillness.
—
"When?"
—
"An hour ago."
—
I closed my eyes briefly.
—
"I'll come back."
—
"No," Daniel said.
—
I frowned slightly.
—
"What?"
—
"Your brothers handled everything."
—
Of course they did.
—
"They said… you should stay where you are."
—
A pause.
—
"And?"
—
"And there's something else."
—
Of course there is.
—
"He left instructions."
—
My eyes opened again.
—
"What kind of instructions?"
—
Silence.
—
"About you."
—
I didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
—
"He had expectations," Daniel continued carefully.
"About… your future."
—
I already knew where this was going.
—
"Marriage," I said.
—
"Yes."
—
Of course.
—
"Someone specific?"
—
"Yes."
—
I let out a quiet breath.
—
"This was arranged?"
—
"Yes."
—
Before I even had a say.
Before I even…
—
Rebecca.
—
I leaned back slowly.
—
"My father's dead," I said quietly.
—
"Yes."
—
"And he's still controlling my life."
—
Silence.
—
That said enough.
—
"Who is she?" I asked.
—
Daniel hesitated.
—
"A family ally."
—
Of course.
—
"Chinese?"
—
"Yes."
—
Tradition.
Legacy.
Control.
—
Everything I was raised in.
—
"You're expected to return," Daniel added.
"To honor it."
—
I laughed quietly.
Not amused.
—
"Of course I am."
—
A pause.
—
"Gregory…"
—
"Yes?"
—
"What are you going to do?"
—
I didn't answer immediately.
—
Because for the first time…
The answer wasn't obvious.
—
China.
Family.
Duty.
—
Or…
—
London.
Rebecca.
Choice.
—
"She asked for time," I said quietly.
—
Daniel didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
—
"I'm going to give it to her," I added.
—
"And after that?"
—
I looked out the window.
At a city that wasn't mine…
But somehow felt more real than the one I came from.
—
"After that…"
—
I paused.
—
"I decide who I am."