Chapter 32

Alex

“Do you think it’s time to tell everyone about us?” Chen inquired, his gaze fixed on the wide dark seas. At the beach, we sat on a log. While lying down, he threaded his fingers.

Unlike ten years ago, I summoned the confidence to seize his hand this time and pull it to kiss. I stared him dead in the eyes. “Do you think you’re terrified, Chen?”

“No,” he replied casually. “You?”

My head shook. “Not in the least.”

Chen laughed as he rubbed his fingers over the white sand, lying face down. “You know, Alex, this isn’t you.”

My brows were wrinkled. “Why?”

“I was expecting you to tell me the contrary,” Chen said, turning his head to face me with a grin on his face. “That I should be afraid of what’s to come.” He sighed and averted his gaze. “That I should avoid or hide from this scandal.” He took a dried branch and began writing on the sand confusing, overlapping words. “Do you recall how ashamed you felt when people saw us having fun together