Chances for Serendipity

by Natalie Chung

  He wrapped an arm around me, squeezing my shoulder. “Lighten up, Sere. You look like you’re about to be eaten.”

  I rolled my eyes, but his silly words worked and I was smiling without the previous tension wracking me.

  “One, two, three.”

  After he snapped a few shots, we settled by the railing, watching the fireworks.

  As the last of the crowd dispersed, Aiden slung his arm around my back. Nerves immediately invaded my stomach like a full-force torpedo. “Let’s go to the other side.”

  In my daze, he easily led me to the opposite end of the dance floor, the corner furthest away from the crowd. My full-length dress swished around my legs, mimicked by the reflection of the glass railing as I approached it. I tilted my head over the edge. The Harbour Bridge lights gave off a stunning glittery view of the dark ocean below.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  Aiden rested his back against the railing. “You know what’s also beautiful?” He flicked on his phone screen and showed it to me. It was a photo he’d taken. Both of us beamed at the camera, a large blue and yellow firework behind us.

  “Yeah. The fireworks look nice in that one.”

  “Who said I was talking about the fireworks?”

  My thrumming pulse overtook my ears as my brain took in what he said.

  What did he mean? Was he actually flirting with me?

  No. No way. Sure, he had said some things lately that could be interpreted as flirting, but this?

  I laughed nervously, turning away to look at the now-empty sky. “Haha. Good one.”

  Aiden sidled up closer to me until his shoulder pressed against mine. “I’m not joking.”

  I held my breath at his soft admission, not knowing how to answer him. The next thing I knew, he was holding my shoulders and pivoting me around to face him.

  “Serendipity, have I just been annoying you these last few weeks?”

  “I—” His question caught me off guard, and coupled with his mesmerising hazel eyes? I was a goner. I had to work my mouth a few times before I could speak. “No. You haven’t been annoying me at all.”

  His mouth parted in surprise, then he rubbed his nose with his knuckles. “That’s a relief.” His eyes darted over my face, down to my lips. “The thing is, I’ve been thinking about you…”

  My face heated up at his proclamation.

  Without warning, Aiden leaned closer. Closer and closer, until all I could focus on were his eyes.

  I drifted toward him, pulled in by the magnetism of those eyes. My gaze dropped to his slightly parted lips just as he pulled me toward him, closing that last bit of distance left between us.

  I closed my eyes, savouring the feel of his hands running up and down my bare arms. I knew what was coming next. I knew it, but didn’t dare stop to think about it. So when his breath fanned over my mouth, I didn’t move. I simply let his lips capture mine. I gasped at the gentle pressure of them, at the strawberry taste from the cake he’d eaten.

  All the emotions that had built up inside me these last two weeks fought to break free. You like him, they said to me. You really like him, and he likes you. Nothing else matters. Just keep kissing him.

  I would’ve listened to that voice, would have never stopped kissing him—if not for the sirens that went off in my head.

  Stop, stop, stop! This won’t end well if you like him. Remember what happened last time? Last time, when you thought it was true love?

  Heeding that tiny bit of resolve inside me, I twisted, breaking away from him. My lips were left tingling with an indescribable sensation. Wanting more.

  No, I didn’t want more. I couldn’t want more.

  I pressed a hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry. I don’t…” Don’t want to risk my heart again. Don’t think you really would like someone like me. Don’t want my heart to break into too many pieces when you realise I’m not actually what you want.

  But I knew if I said any of those words to him, he’d easily refute them. He was just as stubborn as me, if not more. It was better to let him think I didn’t want him.

  Aiden studied me carefully, and he must’ve seen the uncertainty I tried so desperately to exert because his jaw clenched. The sparkle died from his eyes, and his expression hardened. “Sorry. I thought you…” He couldn’t finish the rest of his sentence, but the look of sheer rejection on his face told me enough.

  I had broken the hope of something more, and all I knew was this—I didn’t deserve his feelings, misplaced or not.

  “Aiden… I’m sorry. You’ve got the wrong idea.” The uttering of that one sentence hollowed out my entire being with it. I decided to put the nail in the coffin. Go for the kill. “This. Us. I don’t think of you that way.”

  It was the biggest lie I’d ever told. Bigger than the one I told Dad when I promised him I would be happy. Bigger than the one I told myself when I said I would live my life with no regrets. It left a horrible taste on my tongue that made me want to clean my mouth.

  Aiden stuffed his hands in his pants pockets and ducked his head. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I get it.”

  It took me a moment to register that he’d so quickly dismissed our awkward exchange. But this was good, right? It was for the better. It was good that he understood. That I didn’t have to come up with more lies to cover the lie.

  I was about to thank him like an idiot when he pulled something from his pocket and held it out toward me. “Here. This is for you. A late Christmas present.”

  I stood there, dumbfounded by the sudden change in topic, staring at the white envelope in his outstretched hand.

  He took my limp hand and placed his present there. The envelope was small, crisp and unmarred by any writing, with no indication to its contents.

  “It’s a ground ticket for the Australian Open. If you decide to go, you’re welcome to watch any of my matches from my players’ box.”

  At the mention of a place that held so many memories of Dad, my emotions threatened to overwhelm me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “You know why.” I wrapped my arms around myself, tremors wracking my body. “I can’t go back there. It holds too many memories for me.”

  Aiden’s eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn’t identify. “I didn’t realise you were such a coward, Serendipity.”

  My stomach dropped to the floor, but he didn’t give me the opportunity to question him as he went on.

  “You know what I think? I think you’re running away from your problems, just like me. Except you’re not owning up to it. You told me you loved the place because of your dad. How do you think he’d feel if he knew you weren’t planning on ever going back?”

  Grief wedged itself deep in my throat, preventing me from speaking. It was true. I did love the place because of Dad.

  An old memory at the Australian Open came to me. Me, holding onto Dad’s hand as we walked toward a giant arena. The feeling of my hat constantly sliding over my eyes while Dad animatedly voiced his excitement. This will be a great match to watch. Wouldn’t want to miss it for all the world.

  “No,” I croaked out, swiping the memory from my mind. “I don’t want to talk about this.” The envelope scrunched under the force of my fisted hand. I hugged myself tighter, as if I could squeeze away the pain.

  Sure, it was easy for Aiden to say. For him, going to the Australian Open didn’t hold the same meaning. For me, going back without Dad would hurt too much. He’d loved the event more than anything else, yet he would never see another match ever again. How could I go without him and see something he never would? How could I justify doing that when I’d always only ever gone with him?

  My stomach knotted up at the idea of it, an all-too-familiar stab of pain prickling my chest. “I don’t feel so good. I think I should go home.”

  The silent tension between us was so palpable that it might as well have been physically strangling me. Aiden looked like he wanted to say a lot more, b
ut he nodded. “Okay, fine.”

  Fine? I didn’t feel fine. Not with the cold look he gave me. Not with the knowledge that in a few days, I’d be going to work again. Life would go on, back to normal, without Aiden. Wasn’t that the funny thing? The normal that Aiden Andale wanted so desperately was the normal I’d been struggling to escape from.

  But fine? It wasn’t fine. Not as we parted ways at the train station with stiff goodbyes, and I was left wondering if this was the last time I’d see him.

  Nothing was fine at all.

  Chapter 24

  Time heals all wounds. That’s how the old phrase went. It might have held true for some people, but not for me. My slowly healing wounds reopened as soon as I laid eyes on my latest phone notification.

  Liz: What’s going on? Something you want to tell me?

  A link to an article was attached underneath. She really liked sharing those with me lately, didn’t she? But unlike the previous titles, this one was totally different.

  Andale Moves on from Mystery Girl, New Romance with Tennis Star Dunham.

  Pain dug into me like a cut from a sharp kitchen knife.

  In Liz’s previous messages—ones I’d also never replied to—I’d been featured in some blurry photos with Aiden. All from the night when everything had gone wrong. Apparently someone had recognised Aiden and sneakily taken photos without us realising. I’d sucked it up and dealt with it as best as I could in the aftermath. It helped that nobody was able to name me in those articles. I’d simply been referred to as Aiden’s “Asian Mystery Girl.”

  Who in the world was Dunham though? My finger hovered over the link. The logical side of me said I shouldn’t click it. Let things be. What good would it serve me to know this information? Only misery and self-loathing awaited me. The emotional side of me rebelled. I had to know. Eventually, I’d find out through something I saw by accident. It was better to choose now to find out all the details.

  My mind made up, I opened the article and skimmed through the first paragraph.

  Isabelle Dunham, one of America’s rising tennis stars, was spotted with popular Australian tennis player Aiden Andale on Thursday afternoon at one of Melbourne’s top cafes. The 20 year-old is well known for her part-time job as a model for various brand names, including—

  I scrolled down to read the rest, only for a photo of the two together to usurp my attention. An attractive blonde girl sat opposite Aiden at a small round table sheltered by a large umbrella. Both of them were laughing together like old friends. Or lovers.

  My throat dried up. I quickly snatched up the remainder of my lukewarm cup of coffee and downed it in a few gulps, stewing over this new knowledge.

  He’d moved on quickly with his life. Like our dinner two weeks ago had never happened. Like the time we’d spent together last month was all ancient history.

  Isn’t this what you wanted, Sere? You have no right to regret it now.

  I backed out from the article to return to Liz’s message.

  What did she think of all this? She’d always teased me for my teenage crush on Aiden, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me off for not giving him a chance. Though, knowing her snarky attitude, she would also be badmouthing Aiden for moving on so quickly.

  A sad smile touched my lips at imagining her telling him off. If only things were normal between us. If only I had my best friend to support me. My fingers itched to type a response, but I thought twice about it. What could I possibly say?

  It’s a long story. He came to my bakery one day, and we became friends. But then I went and messed that up.

  I hadn’t spoken to Liz for over a year now. Wouldn’t it be weird to write to her without addressing our fallout? Although she was the one starting the conversation, I wouldn’t feel comfortable carrying on like everything was normal. My poor attempt to explain the situation with Aiden all in one short paragraph wouldn’t do me any justice either.

  Before I could mull it over more, my phone vibrated with an incoming call, giving me a reprieve from my sad thoughts.

  Or not. I eyed the name on the screen.

  Crap. It was my boss. I inhaled in a deep, composing breath, then swiped to accept the call.

  “Hi, Albert.”

  “Have you sent off those invoices yet?” Albert’s voice boomed.

  I winced, extending the phone away from my ear and rubbing the heel of my hand on the top of my head. Another migraine was coming, and I already dreaded its impending arrival. It started at the back of my neck and ended at my forehead, a continuous and unrelenting pulsing.

  “Are you there?” my boss demanded.

  I pressed the phone back to my ear. “Yes, sir. I’m here. And yes, I sent off those invoices before lunch.” This wasn’t the reason for him calling me during his holiday though. He could’ve just checked his email to confirm, so what did he want now?

  “Perfect. I’m forwarding you another lot I need done before tomorrow.”

  Another lot of invoices? No, no, no. “What about John?” I gave a cursory glance to the desk beside me where the intern usually sat. Empty. Probably off somewhere on an extended lunch break when he was meant to be attending to the mounting pile of work I’d left on his desk at the beginning of the week.

  The boss let out a grunt. “John’s still in training, so I’ve got him doing part of another lot. I trust you to get the job done much faster, so you’ve got the bigger portion.”

  Oh, yay. I clicked to open the new email from him, and downloaded the attachments. “Aren’t these all your direct clients?”

  “Yes. Is that a problem?”

  Yes. I hate work. Let me get an early mark on Friday, for once in my tired life. “No. Not a problem, sir.”

  “Good. I’ve got two more weeks of my holiday left. Let me enjoy it in peace. Especially for the Australian Open next week.”

  “The Australian Open?” He was going there? Right where Aiden Andale would be. Just when I thought I’d finally stopped thinking about him, he wriggled his way back into my mind.

  “Yep. You’ve been doing some good work, Sere. Keep it up.” If he’d said this to me a few months earlier, I would’ve been over the moon. Right now, however, I could barely muster anything that sounded semi-enthusiastic at best.

  “Mmm, thanks, sir. Anything else?”

  “No. That’s all for now. I’ll leave you to it then.”

  He ended the call, and I peeked at the time. Well, it looked like I would be staying late today. Again. The last stack of invoices had taken almost half a day to do, and this was a bigger lot.

  I fired off a text to Mum, letting her know I’d be late. After I sent the message, my finger lingered over the message overview screen, my eyes inevitably locking onto the last message Aiden had sent me. I must’ve been a glutton for punishment today, because instead of finally going through and deleting the whole thread of our messages, I tapped to view our conversation again.

  Me: Thanks for tonight. Good luck in the Aus Open!

  Aiden: It’s cool. Thanks.

  The problem with texting was that I had no idea if what he said was really a genuine response or not. The short sentences marked by full stops just seemed…cold. I guess it didn’t really matter. He was back to his own life, in his own separate world. But, as if my body still couldn’t help itself, I automatically started scrolling all the way back up to the very first message from him.

  Hey, just messaging you to prove I can remember your number :) Aiden

  I stifled a laugh. It didn’t matter how many times I read that first message, I could still imagine his cockiness as he wrote it.

  A pinging noise came from my computer, jarring me from my procrastinations. I looked up to see a notification for another email from Albert pop up. Bleh.

  Stowing away my phone, I turned my attention to the new email.

  Time to get started.

  Approximately six hours later, I finished the last of the invoices. Time to call it a day.

  No sooner had I tho
ught this than a new email notification popped up. I sighed and clicked on it, only to sigh even louder after reading the message.

  S, this is incomplete. Fix it.

  Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

  But he wasn’t. I looked through the rest of the email trail. Totally unreliable intern John had done it again. He’d forgotten or ignored some details that needed to be added to the invoices. I was beginning to suspect the latter the more often he did it. No one could forget more than once, and this was probably his third or fourth time.

  Ugh. Kill me now. Which was sadly appropriate for me to say because when I finally finished fixing everything up, I felt like death. Using the last dregs of my energy, I switched off my computer, powered off the aircon, and flicked off the office lights.

  I could finally leave. The thought should’ve made me relieved, but my mind wandered back to the article from earlier today. Aiden laughing with another girl, moving on with his life as if I’d never been part of it.

  Once again, my heart was assaulted by a sharp, cutting pain, and I pressed a hand against my chest.

  Time might heal all wounds, but it would be a long while before this one patched over.

  Chapter 25

  Mum and Max had never fussed over me so much in my whole life. Mum had even momentarily left the bakery in Ming’s hands—something she’d never usually do on a busy Saturday morning.

  “You rest today, sweetie,” she insisted. She tucked the edges of my blanket tightly around me, snuggling me up like a burrito. She hadn’t done that since… I couldn’t even remember when. Other people might have found it nice to be coddled, but in my case, it was an overreaction.

  “Mum, I’m fine.”

  Max leaned over my bedside, scrutinising me with narrowed eyes. “Don’t believe her, Ma. She’ll go back to work on Monday and do the same thing.”

  I glared at him at the same time Mum looked over me in disapproval, as if I’d already gone and done exactly what he suggested.

  “I’m okay!”

  “Sure, if your definition of ‘okay’ is tripping down the stairs first thing in the morning,” Max retorted. “It’s a miracle you didn’t injure yourself.”