•<The Interview>•

              I have died every day waiting for you
         Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you
                            for a thousand years
                 I'll love you for a thousand more
                                             ~
                                  Christina Perri
                                        •<>•
                         Three Months Later

In the backseat of a black taxi, I gaze out at the bustling city. It's a crisp September day, and the afternoon sun bathes the historic streets in a warm, golden light. As we pass by some iconic landmarks— I marvel at the blend of ancient and modern architecture. The autumn leaves are beginning to turn, adding a touch of amber to the cityscape.

When I began my internship shortly after graduation, I was thrilled to embark on a new chapter in my life. Moving to London was an adventure I eagerly anticipated, not only because I hoped to bump into Ethan someday but also due to the fantastic opportunities that came my way during the application process.

Although my dad was apprehensive about me relocating to another continent to start afresh, I reassured him that I would be okay and promised to visit as often as possible. After all, it was just a six-month internship, and if things didn't work out, I could always return home.

Thankfully, my experience here has been wonderful. I love my workplace, and everyone at the firm has been incredibly kind and generous to me and the other interns.

Initially, I was anxious about moving to a different place, a different continent, all by myself. However, I've quickly made several friends who have been incredibly supportive, making my transition much smoother.

Although my two best friends are far away, we're all adjusting to these major changes in our lives and still find time for each other. Keyara is exploring South Korea, while Autumn went to Australia to visit Brandon, who moved there shortly after graduation. From our conversations, I wouldn't be surprised if Autumn decides to relocate there permanently.

When she mentioned finding a little velvet box in Brandon's jacket, we all speculated that he might be planning to propose. The possibility is thrilling, to say the least.

Despite things going well for me here, there's still something missing. I feel a pang of sadness every time I think about it. Since moving here, I haven't been able to see Ethan, even though I know where he works. I've visited each company his father owns but to no avail. From what I can tell, Ethan is not only extremely busy but also invincible.

Some may think I'm crazy for chasing after a man who hasn't reached out or looked for me despite all the time that has passed. I gave up my life in the States, hoping to find him here after failing to locate him in any of his father's companies back home, clinging to a promise I'm not sure he's still keeping.

Though anger rises within me like bile whenever negative thoughts creep in, I still love him. My loved ones have urged me to forget him and move on, just as he has, but I can't. A part of me is still holding onto him, yearning for answers to the questions that have plagued me since we parted last year.

I know he suffered from amnesia after the accident, but wouldn't his memory have returned by now? If so, why hasn't he come looking for me? Did his love for me fade, or has his father's influence changed his feelings?

As we near our destination, I glance at my phone to check the time. Seeing that I'm right on schedule, I exhale sharply, releasing the tension that has built up since being assigned one of the most important tasks of my internship.

After learning that I would be interviewing one of the most prominent businessmen in England, I've been a bundle of nerves. I've been pacing back and forth, trying to ensure I don't mess things up.

After extensive and challenging preparation, reviewing the questions, and rehearsing everything I needed to say, I felt somewhat ready for the task. However, that confidence vanished the moment I got into this taxi.

What felt unreal a few days ago is now becoming very real with each passing second. In just a matter of minutes, I'll be conducting this interview.

It's now or never.

Upon getting out of the taxi, I gaze up at the building. It's a striking blend of sleek modern lines and vintage charm that stands proudly. Bathed in September's soft daylight, it houses a bustling, well-known firm, that exudes professionalism and innovation.

Dressed in a cream-white suit that I bought specifically for this occasion, I adjust the hem of my oversized jacket to smooth it out before flipping my straightened ginger hair back.

Puffing out a breath through lips coated with peach matte lipstick, I inhale and exhale deeply once more before ascending the small steps. As I approach the door, the guard standing beside it, looking straight ahead, opens it for me with a barely noticeable nod.

As I walk in, the tapping of my open-toe beige ankle strap heels on the pristine floor echoes softly. Though this place is filled with people walking to and fro, I head straight to the receptionist. After a few seconds of confirming my appointment, she directs me to my destination with a smile.

Stepping into the elevator, my nervousness heightens, prompting me to take another deep breath.

Upon reaching my floor, I exit the elevator. The lady named Danielle, whom I was told would be waiting for me by the elevator, welcomes me with a kind smile. Her hair is styled in a high bun, and her red lips highlight her beautiful features.

"Good morning, you must be Miss Mallory Wright?" she asks, almost as if confirming.

"Yes, I am," I reply, doing my best to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"Very well, come with me," she says, leading the way to my destination. Upon arriving, she makes a quick call to inform her boss, the man I'm supposed to interview, of my presence.

After a few seconds, she returns and gestures for me to enter his office.

This is it. It's now or never.

Though I'm nervous, I can't let it show. I have to look confident. As I stand by the door, waiting for her to open it, I take another deep breath before stepping inside.

Upon entering his office, I notice that the man I'm supposed to interview has company. Seated across from him is a man whose back is turned to me, casually resting his elbow on the armchair.

"Ah! You must be the intern sent to interview me. Please, come in," he says, gesturing with his hand.

Closing the door behind me, I begin my approach, my heels tapping rhythmically on the marble floor, the sound echoing through the spacious, bright office. The man whose back is turned to me remains seated, casually spinning his chair from side to side.

As I draw closer, my heartbeat quickens, and nerves ripple through my body. The man with his back to me has crossed his legs, while Mr. Lucas, the man I am here to interview, leans back in his large chair. He looks to be in his early to mid-thirties, with his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pristine black vest over his white-collared shirt. His simple yet elegant style sends a wave of intimidation and nervousness washing over me.

I am in the presence of one of England's youngest self-made millionaires, and while it is an honor to have been chosen to interview him, the pressure to perform well is immense. My insides feel like they are shaking uncontrollably.

I hope I won't get tongue-tied during the interview.

Your silence is long overdue...say something before things get awkward. I urge myself.

"Yes. I'm Mallory Wright, and I'm honored to interview you, Mr. Lucas." I manage to say.

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the mysterious man, whose back has been facing me the entire time rises from his seat to look at me; and my heart drops instantly when I see who it is.

He's looking at me with surprise, his eyebrows slightly arched, his eyes wide with shock, and his mouth slightly open. His reaction to my presence mirrors my own; he looks like he's seen a ghost.

"Mallory," he says, his soft voice tinged with disbelief.

"Ethan," I respond, struggling to breathe.

The man I had almost lost hope of finding is standing before me, looking perplexed.

I had spent all this time searching for him, wondering if he was okay and if he still had amnesia. And all this while, he has been fine and seemingly unbothered about reaching out to me.

As these thoughts consume me, a wave of anger washes over me. Though I had longed to see him, dreaming of the day we would finally meet and imagining running into his arms and kissing him, I don't feel that way at this moment.

Standing before him, I am filled with anger. I am angry at him for not looking for me, for ghosting me, and for making me worry all this time while he was okay and doing just fine.

I want to say something, but I can't. Tears sting my eyes, my mouth is slightly open and quivering. The man I love, the one I have been searching for since last year is standing before me now, and yet, I don't know what to do.

Suddenly, my instinct kicks in. The urge to run, to get away from him as fast as possible, overwhelms me, and I don't hesitate. Exiting the room in a panic, I ask Danielle, Mr. Lucas' assistant, to show me where the restroom is. Thankfully, she rises to my aid.

"This way," she says, pointing to a door not far from where we are, her expression filled with confusion.

My mind is in such a jumble that I don't even bother to thank her. Hastily, I make my way to the white door at the end of the brightly lit hallway with white walls. I hear Ethan calling from behind.

"Mallory," his voice and footsteps nearing, "Please, can we talk?"

I ignore him, determined to reach the restroom and praying he doesn't catch up to me.

"Mallory, please," he repeats, but I don't respond, I'm focused solely on getting away.

Thankfully, I reach the door just in time and shut it before he can reach me. I then walk to one of the stalls and close it. Not long after, tears start to fall on my cheeks. Seconds later, I hear his voice, along with Mr. Lucas', coming from the other side of the door.

"Is everything alright, Ethan? What's going on?" Mr. Lucas asks repeatedly, confusion evident in his voice.

"Yeah, everything's alright, Theo. I just need a moment with her."

"Alright, mate. If you say so. I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Mallory, please come out. We need to talk." Ethan pleads again, but I don't respond.

Tears continue streaming down my face, anger consuming me to the point where I don't know how to handle this situation. Just a moment ago, I was desperately searching for this man, and now that he's here, wanting to talk, I don't want to see him.

The thought of him ghosting me is infuriating. How could he? He disappeared without a trace, leaving me worried sick while he lived his life as if I didn't matter as if I didn't exist.

How could I have been so stupid?

"Mallory, please come out. I'm sorry," he says gently, but I remain silent.

What am I supposed to say to the man I thought went silent because he lost part of his memory when in reality he was fine all along?

What am I supposed to do or say when I'm not sure if he meant every word he said before the accident? If he loves me and always will, like he claimed in the last minutes before the plane crash?

Covering my face with my hands, I let soft sobs escape my lips. I'm in a dilemma, torn between running into his arms to tell him how much I missed and love him, and staying away because I feel like a fool for waiting while he moved on.

"I'm sorry, Mallory. I know I messed up, but it's not what it looks like. Please, I need to see you."

"I don't want to see you, so just leave me alone." I finally respond, summoning the strength to speak.

Shortly after, I get a notification on my phone from a fellow intern. As I dig it out of my bag, I remember my sole purpose for coming here.

'Have you started the interview? Good luck.' The message reads.

For a moment I was so distracted by Ethan's unexpected presence that I forgot about the interview.

Panicked, I wipe the tears from my face and hurry to the sink to clean up a bit before leaving the restroom.

With Ethan waiting just outside, I don't know how I'll get past him without facing his probing questions.

As much as I care about him, I can't handle seeing him right now; his actions have hurt me deeply. Talking to him when I'm not in the right frame of mind wouldn't be fair to either of us. I don't want to make any hasty decisions in this emotional state.

After washing my face, I'm relieved that my eyes aren't as red as I feared from all the crying, even though my makeup is washed off.

Summoning the strength to open the door, fully aware he's on the other side, I take a deep breath and push it open.

He stands there, looking at me with sad yet beautiful eyes.

We both freeze, enveloped in silence. He's just a foot away, standing motionless like me. His lips part, but no words come out. It's as if he's struggling to process my presence, yet relieved to see me.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry. I—" he begins, his voice soft.

"Save your apologies, Ethan. I don't have time for this." I cut him off and walk past him.

"I know you're busy, but you don't have to do this interview. I'll talk to Theo; I'm sure he'll understand if you—"

"I don't need you interfering in my affairs. I'm here to work, and I won't let you jeopardize that for me." Tears threaten my eyes, but I manage to blink them away.

"I'm not trying to—"

"You disappeared for a whole year without a word. You left me, and now you expect me to just run to you after all this time?"

"It's not what it looks like. I can explain."

"I don't have time for this. I need to get back to what I came here for." I walk past him, ignoring his attempts to continue the conversation.

"I'll be right outside...waiting to talk," he says desperately, causing me to stop in my tracks. "I don't deserve your time, but please, just let me see you. Please."

Turning around, I furrow my brows and my lips crumple, searching for the right words but finding none. Instead, I simply turn away and walk off, leaving him without a response.

Back in the office, Mr. Lucas, who is now relaxed in his chair, greets me, and his earlier cheerfulness seems to have faded.

I hope I didn't mess this up.

"Is everything alright, Miss Wright?" His stern voice fills the room.

"Yes, I apologize for what happened earlier. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," he interrupts. "These things are rare, but don't worry about it. I'm just surprised to hear you know Mr. Myers personally based on how you addressed each other."

I lower my gaze, trying to mask my discomfort as the conversation veers into my personal life—something I hadn't expected today. While I anticipated some questions about my work and background, I didn't expect to discuss my interactions with others.

"Anyway, I won't pry. We've already wasted enough time, so we might as well get started," he concludes.

With that, I pull out my notebook and turn to the page with the questions I was instructed to ask. Most of them focus on his recent collaboration with our firm and the impact his businesses have made in the sales and marketing industry.

After rolling my lips into my mouth to moisten them, I release them before taking a deep breath to ease the tension that has already built up inside, "So, Ca-Can you describe the experience," (clears throat.) "Sorry, your umm, your experience in sales and marketing and highlight your most successful campaign or project?" nervousness has taken over me, and I'm certain that my cheeks are flushing. This is my first time talking to a client, a high-profile client at that and I'm already screwing things up.

You can do better than this Mallory. Pull yourself together. I give myself a pep talk all the while hoping that he'll brush what just happened under the rag.

Thankfully, he does so and begins answering my questions while I jolt down every important detail he's telling me as quickly as I can.

When he's done, I look down at my other question to read it before asking him. I swear I had these questions memorized however, seeing Ethan caused a jumble in my head I can't even remember what I had for breakfast.

I wish he still didn't have such a strong hold on me.

Brushing the thoughts aside, I move to the next question, "What methods umm do you, do you use to uhh," Crap I'm a mess, "To take, I'm sorry, to..." feeling overwhelmed...I start to see myself losing composure and he too can see it given the expression on his face. Gosh, this is so embarrassing, "To measure the-the success of a marketing campaign? I'm sorr-"

"Miss Wright," he interjects, "Relax. I see the determination in your eyes, but I can't let you continue."

His words hit me hard, and I look up at him, feeling both disappointed and devastated. How am I going to explain this to my boss when I return to the firm without completing my task? I was thoroughly prepared for this interview, knowing every question and response like the back of my hand, and I had rehearsed endlessly in my apartment to ensure everything would be perfect. I was completely ready just moments before stepping into this office, especially before seeing Ethan.

His presence has thrown me off balance, and I can't seem to clear him from my mind.

Desperate, I beg the man across from me for a second chance, promising I'll do better.

"Miss Wright," he says gently, "It's okay. I understand that whatever happened earlier with Mr. Myers might have been upsetting, and because of that, this interview can't continue while you're distressed."

He then grabs a pen from a cup and scribbles something on a yellow sticky note. "I'll reschedule the interview for tomorrow. Hopefully, you'll be ready then."

As if sensing what I'm about to say, he continues, "I'll have my assistant inform your boss that I postponed this meeting due to urgent work that needed my attention." He exhales, his chest rising and falling, and adds, "I don't usually do this for strangers, but it seems you're someone important to Mr. Myers, who happens to be a very good friend of mine."

"Mr. Lucas, I, Mr. Myers, and—"

"Save your explanation, Miss Wright. I don't need to hear about your personal affairs." He leans in, resting his elbows on the table with his fingers interlaced. "Clear your thoughts and make sure this is the last time you let personal issues affect your work." He offers a comforting smile, reassuring me that I needn't worry. "The key to success is staying focused. See you tomorrow. You may leave now; I have other matters to attend to." He picks up a file, leans back in his chair, and opens it.

"Th-thank you, Sir," I stammer as I rise from my seat. He gives a small nod and a faint smile while keeping his eyes on the file.

I thank him once more before leaving his office, feeling grateful for his kindness.

As I exit the building, I come face-to-face with Ethan, who has been waiting for me outside. Leaning against his car, he straightens up the moment our eyes meet and fixes his desperate gaze on me.

I decide to ignore him again, but as I start to walk away, he jogs to me and positions himself in front of me, blocking my path.

"Please don't ignore me, Mal. I can't stand it. I can't bear to see you like this."

Despite everything he's done, I still love him deeply. God knows how hard I'm trying to resist the urge to run into his arms. Even though he still has a strong hold on me, I can't easily give in, not when I'm still hurting from what he did.

It's been over a year since I last heard from him, and not a moment went by without me wondering how he was and worrying about him. Discovering that he had selective amnesia shattered my world. Seeing him in that hospital bed, bruised and broken, tore my heart into pieces. When I realized he didn't even recognize me, everything turned gray in an instant.

James' constant reassurance and his promise to keep me updated about Ethan's recovery offered some relief, but sadly, he didn't keep his word. And even though Ethan had amnesia, he never reached out to me after his recovery, which breaks my heart all over again.

I don't know what might have motivated his actions, but maybe hearing his side of the story will answer the questions that have been tormenting me for so long.

Feeling defeated, I exhale sharply and meet his gaze. Without saying anything, I turn and head toward his car, silently signaling that I'm ready to listen.

He follows and quickly opens the door for me before walking around to his side of the car. Once I'm settled inside, he looks at me.

Even though I can feel his gaze, I avoid looking back. I turn my head towards the window, staring out at the nothingness, unable to bear meeting his eyes without breaking down.

He remains silent and starts the car without a word.

He better have a good reason for what he did.

Lyrics

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

AN
How do you feel about the reunion? Were you expecting it?
                                      ***
Thank you so much for getting this far, much appreciated. Don't forget to vote, comment and share. It'd be nice to hear from you and your honest opinions/thoughts about the story.
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