I went to the park to meet Jared.
He looked stunning in a crisp white shirt tucked into dark blue pants, a matching blazer wrapped over his frame. His presence was as effortlessly charming as ever. The second his eyes met mine, he blushed—and I couldn't help but smile. A gentle, unforced smile that had long forgotten its way to my lips… until now.
"Hey," he said, stepping closer.
"Hi Jared. Everything okay? You're alright, right?" I asked, a bit concerned.
"Yeah, why?" he replied.
"You asked me to meet you so urgently—I thought something happened," I said.
"Oh, no, I… I just needed to talk to you about something," he said, scratching the back of his neck. His tone had turned shy.
"About what?" I asked, softly.
"I wanted to talk about… us." He exhaled, his breath shaky.
I inhaled sharply, already knowing where this conversation was heading. "Oh."
Silence fell between us like an invisible curtain—awkward and too heavy.
"So… what exactly do you want to talk about us?" I finally asked.
He didn't speak. Instead, he handed me a red bouquet of roses.
I froze. "Jared… what is this?" I asked, my voice rising as my face flushed crimson.
"What are you trying to do?" I said, frustration creeping into my tone.
"Serena, please listen to me. I know you hate me and all, but—"
"But what, Jared?" I cut him off. "What's even left to say?"
He set the bouquet gently on a nearby bench, then stepped closer. His hands trembled as he placed them on my shoulders and looked into my eyes.
His hands always trembled like this only when he was scared—or hopelessly in love.
"Serena, please. Just… hear me out."
I was shaking too. His gaze locked with mine—deep, intense—and suddenly, I couldn't pull away. My heart raced. His fingers gently moved from my shoulders to my face, brushing a strand of hair aside. My body wanted to resist, but my soul remembered.
His aura, his scent, the way our energy used to dance together—it all hit me at once like a haunting melody from a forgotten lullaby.
And just like that, I was thrown into the past.
---
Flashback
"Jared, be careful! This is a new car and you don't even fully know how to drive!" I cried, gripping the seat beside him.
He just laughed, carefree and radiant. "There's nothing in this world I can't do, Serena."
We had always been close—best friends, really. But rumors about us weren't entirely baseless. Everyone said Jared had feelings for me… and maybe I had feelings too. Still, he was the hot, popular guy. The one everyone wanted. Why would he choose me?
He'd had past relationships—plenty—and some of his exes used to glare at me like I was the villain. I used to doubt everything.
But on that one special day, he asked me for a ride in his new red convertible. Though my brain told me to say no, my heart… it didn't listen.
He said we'd go to the beach. But he came dressed in a black suit—sharp, elegant. I had on a long white dress with full sleeves, pearl earrings, and soft curls cascading down my shoulders. We looked far too overdressed for a beach trip.
As we sped along the highway, I turned to him.
"Hey, aren't we going to the nearby beach?"
"Nope," he replied.
"Then where?"
"To the resort one," he said, blushing at the edge of his smile.
"But why?" I asked, confused.
"You'll see," he said, winking.
My heart did backflips.
When we arrived, he took my hand—firmly, confidently—and led me around the back of the resort.
I gasped.
The ground was decorated with red rose petals, heart-shaped balloons swayed in the breeze, and the ocean waves played nature's soft music in the background.
"This is for you," he said, handing me a letter tied with a red ribbon.
He led me to a heart-shaped bed of petals in the middle of the beach. The world faded. The sun began to set. The song "A Thousand Years" started playing somewhere in the distance.
I started giggling nervously, almost in disbelief. "What is this, Jared?"
"Read the letter," he urged.
Hands trembling, I opened the ribbon.
> Dear Serena,
Ever since I looked into your blue eyes, time has stopped for me.
I can't stop admiring the way you laugh, the way you flip your hair, your every move—flawless.
At first, I thought it was infatuation, and being with another girl might cure it. But I was wrong.
Oh girl, what have you done to me?
I've never done this for anyone.
I've never felt this for anyone.
Be prepared for what comes next.
Yours and only yours,
Jared
I looked up, and there he was—on one knee, bouquet in hand, voice shaking.
"You've read the letter," he said, then cleared his throat. "And now you probably know where this is going."
He inhaled deeply.
"Words can't define what I feel. So let me borrow some from Ellen Everett."
And then he recited:
> If you're looking for forever,
I'll take the batteries out of my clocks—
So we'll be stuck inside this moment, as if time has truly stopped.
I'll tell you I love you every second… but seconds don't exist here,
So I'll tell you with every breath, every smile, every kiss.
And when I die, you can restart your clocks…
But know that we were infinite in the moment that you were mine.
I love you, Serena. Till my last breath.
I couldn't hold it in.
Tears flowed.
I covered my face, overwhelmed. He reached for my hand again.
"I love you too, Jared," I whispered, then shouted, "I love you!"
And we kissed, as if the world might end any moment.
That day, the sky laughed, the sea blushed—and time stood still.
---
Back to Present
A tear escaped my eye as I came back to the present.
Jared stood in front of me, hands still trembling, just like that night.
He had loved me once. Maybe… he never stopped.