|| Coral ||

After Wyatt and I reached the restaurant together, we met up with our not-so-honorable, annoying bride and groom.

As far as hangouts went, it was fine. Job updates, talks about coworkers, gossip about our old high school classmates.

"How's Texas treating you, Coral?" Theo asked, and I subtly glared at him for slipping up.

He wasn't supposed to say where I lived in front of Wyatt. But then again, I guess it didn't matter anymore. It's not like Wyatt would show up at my door after the wedding was over. It's also not like he could find me. After all, Texas was huge. Thank goodness, he didn't at least say my city's name.

"Great. Way better than California ever did," I answered while eating from my Cioppino.

"I heard the tornado in Houston last month was terrible," Ara added.

This time, I dropped my spoon and glared at the couple openly. "Yes, Ara, the tornado was terrible. I felt like the roof would collapse on me. Thank you for mentioning," I said sarcastically.

"Oh, no, that's horrible. I hope your café did okay," Theo said in exaggerated consolation.

I had a clear idea as to what those two were doing. They were trying to give my information to Wyatt indirectly since I had them promise that they shouldn't go out of their way to tell Wyatt about me. Well, they weren't so 'indirect'.

"So.... you live in Houston and run a café now, huh," Wyatt commented, sounding amused from the way he received the news.

"Yep. Her café is super famous, if not the most famous," Ara said proudly.

"Why don't you mention the name as well, Ara?" I shot her a menacing tight-lipped smile which got her back to quietly slurping her Thai soup.

Wyatt chuckled quietly beside me.

I huffed and went back to my food. I thankfully managed to change the topic until we ordered our desserts.

"I'm going to the restroom. Coral, you wanna tag along?" Ara asked after she finished her dessert.

Normally, I would have said yes, but right now, I had something else in mind. "No, I'm gonna finish my sundae. You can go."

"Oh, okay."

Once Ara was out of earshot, I leaned forward on the table and whispered, "Give me your apartment key, and stay out of your apartment tomorrow until evening."

"Why in the world would I do that?" Theo raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Though it's a little late, I'm throwing a bridal shower for Ara tomorrow at your apartment. Everything is planned, and I've invited all the guests," I informed.

"Guess I've to cancel our home date tomorrow then. But why couldn't you just say it to me earlier?" He gave me a pointed look.

"Because you can't keep secrets from her, idiot." I stuck out my tongue at him, and Theo rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I can stay out of the apartment all day, but Annabelle is still going to be home. How will you prepare everything with her present?"

"Don't you worry. The maid of honor has got that covered. I told her colleagues to call her in for an emergency in the morning," I told him smugly, raising my top's collar.

"What emergency could there be in a five-star kitchen?" Wyatt asked dryly.

I rolled my eyes. "They will think something up."

"Great then. Good luck. But since I've got nothing else to do tomorrow... Hey, hang out with me tomorrow, Wyatt," Theo said.

Wyatt shook his head. "I have got an important meeting tomorrow."

"It's Sunday, though," I pointed out.

"I know. But the clients are only staying here for three days. The meeting was supposed to be held today, but I had other stuff to do, so I had to postpone it."

Before I could comment on it, Theo teased, "By other stuff, you mean chaperoning the girls to the beach?"

"Technically, yes."

I bet Wyatt only postponed because Ara insisted so much and he didn't want to dishearten the poor bride before her wedding, otherwise, he'd never do that.

Theo laughed. "Well, then, you'd better not miss the meeting tomorrow, or your clients are gonna be hella pissed."

"Don't worry, Theo. Wyatt isn't the type to miss meetings. After all, meetings used to be more important than his girlfriend." Though I meant to say it smoothly, however, turns out it didn't land smoothly at all.

A pin-drop silence fell over after my taunt.

"Did someone die while I was gone?" Ara asked once she came back and sensed the strangling awkwardness.

I didn't bother replying to her and checked the time. "Look how late it's gotten. We should head out."

Just as I stood up to leave, Theo offered, "Coral, wait, we will drop you guys."

"No, it's fine. The hotel's in the opposite direction of your apartment." Traffic could be bad at this time, so I didn't want them to get even more tired than they were due to their wedding.

"Yeah, don't worry. We will get a cab," Wyatt said, standing up as well.

Oh, that's not happening, mister.

"Well, get your own cab this time. I'm taking the bus," I said flatly, leaving him speechless. "See you guys later, then. Bye."

Coming out of the restaurant, I walked straight to the bus stop nearby. I wish the cable car station was anywhere near the hotel, but it wasn't, and walking so late from the station wouldn't be my best bet.

While a cab would have been more comfortable, I knew Wyatt wasn't used to buses. He would never ride the bus, especially now that he was such a big shot.

Despite that, I was proven wrong the moment I got on the bus. Because the next moment, Wyatt climbed in and hurriedly took the seat beside me before another girl could.

"What the hell are you doing here now?"

"I couldn't get a cab, I swear," Wyatt said.

"Get an Uber."

"Not available."

Who said this man was going to respect my boundaries? Bullshit. He was hell-bent on crossing it.

I frowned and crossed my arms. I wasn't going to argue with him anymore. If he wanted to stick with me and get on my nerves, so be it.

I also promised that I wouldn't pay any mind to him. Heck, I wouldn't even talk to him on my own.

———

However, that promise to myself was proving to be quite difficult.

Especially right now.

I was in grave danger.

I was in Ara and Theo's apartment with the bridesmaids, decorating their living room. But...

I realized a little too late that I forgot my gift at the hotel during the rush to get here before eight.

I wanted to rip out my hair in frustration. I didn't have enough time to run back to the hotel and grab it, either. After all, it would take more than an hour to go up-down. Not to mention, I only had ten minutes before other guests started coming in and I had to entertain them as the host.

Of course, I knew that Ara would understand if I said that I forgot the gift, but I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. How odd would it seem if her best friend slash host slash maid of honor gave nothing to her at her bridal shower?

Ugh, what should I do?

Technically, I did know what I should do.

That was, call Wyatt.

I didn't know what time his meeting was. God, I hoped it was in the evening. Otherwise, he wouldn't even pick up. But maybe, he would pick up.

However, to know that, I had to call him.

My extensive pride said no. But my desire to give a perfect bridal shower to my best friend said yes. And the latter won.

Wyatt's contact number wasn't saved on my new phone, so I dialed it manually. Good thing that I still had his number memorized.

I took a deep breath and pressed the phone to my ear, my heart thumping loudly in my chest out of anticipation. As each ring sounded out, my hope felt dimmer. Maybe his meeting had started, that's why he wasn't picking up. Or maybe, he was simply ignoring it. Both of them seemed likely.

I was about to drop the call at the last ring when it was received.

"Hello?"

"Wyatt! Thank goodness, you picked up." I released a relieved breath. I was so much more glad than I thought I would be. "Are you free right now?"

"Depends on what you want." I heard car honks in the background, indicating that he was outside.

"I need your help."

"I don't know what I can do to help in a bridal shower," he replied dryly.

"No, I need you to get me the gift that's sitting on the coffee table in my hotel room here. I'll tell the hotel manager to give you the emergency key. So... please?"

Wyatt was silent for a moment, most probably hesitating.

"Are you heading to your meeting right now?" I asked, gulping and hoping no.

Otherwise, he would never agree.

"What do I get in return?" he asked, ignoring my question.

"Whatever you want," I said without giving it a second thought but instantly regretted it.

"I want two things."

Shit.

"What are they?"

"First, your old phone."

My stomach dropped at the request.

"I want to see the text that remained unsent in there. Do you have it? Your old phone?"

I wanted to say no. I wanted to forget that I threw that phone across the street, let it get crushed under a car, and then picked it up again like a sore loser. I wanted to deny that I didn't bring that broken phone with me in my luggage here. And for some strange reason, I felt nervous, having him read what I wrote in an emotional mess after so long. But...

"I have it. I'll give it to you when I get back to the hotel. Though I doubt the phone would work." I would be freed from my guilt, and he definitely can't stay mad at me after reading the explanation text.

"That's okay. I'll get it fixed by the best. Then I'll believe that you had actually sent me an explanation." That would honestly be a relief.

"What's your second wish?" I quickly said. Please I hope it will be something minor.

"Um, well," he took a pause, "I know you said that I lost the right before. But I want to try again... Can I start calling you Angel again?"

He really was looking to torture me, wasn't he?

"Why would you want that?"

He chuckled, hesitant and sad. "You are my angel, did you forget?"

Probably he did. But I could never. I could never forget running to him breathlessly to wrap him in a hug after learning his mom made a mess and the fact that she was a runaway psychological patient. I could never forget the eighteen-year-old Wyatt crying like a child in my arms. I could never forget him saying that I was his angel who saved him from the darkness that had always been consuming him, that no matter what, I would always be his angel.

"Call me whatever you want. It's just a stupid nickname. It means nothing," I said nonchalantly.

"It means a lot to me though." I could hear the sad smile in his voice, and while it shouldn't hurt me, it still clenched my heart. "Anyway," he sighed and added, his tone getting a little upbeat, "All you need is for the gift to reach you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then don't worry, you will get your gift on time, Angel." With that, he hung up the call.

Meanwhile, the emotions that I had been trying to bury deep beneath came rushing in with that single 'stupid' nickname.

★★★