Self

Chapter 6

“It’s time I properly apologized for my past recklessness and foolishness. I owe her that much.”

Rainie nearly spat out her drink. She coughed twice and said, “Cut me some slack, Yara. You’re not clueless. The only class I ever bombed. in college was Professor Olson’s elective.

“Just the sight of her gives me the jitters. Plus, I’m pretty much invisible to her. She probably doesn’t even remember me. I’m sorry, but I’m no help to you.”

Yara did not push it since Rainie was hesitant.

Rainie said with a sly twinkle in her eye, changing the subject, “But might know just the person to go with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Remember my cousin Wade Shelton?”

Yara took a tiny sip of her warm water, nodding.

“Of course.”

Wade was a rock star in the physics world–the youngest leader in hist field back home. The previous year, he also topped Nature

magazine’s list of world–changing young scientists.

He was Professor Olson’s protégé in undergrad, acing applied biosciences with five SCI papers in two years. The bio world thought he was a prodigy.

Then, out of the blue, he switched gears and dove into physics, which made quite the splash.

It turned out he could master physics just as well.

After that, Wade was a big shot in the global physics scene.

Yara and Wade went to the same school, but she was a few years behind him, making her the junior. She had heard about Wade’s legend before she even met Rainie and discovered he was her cousin.

He had been abroad, doing his thing at a physics research institute, and just got back home three months ago.

“My cousin was asking about the professor’s health the other day. He’s been swamped, but a visit from you two could be just the thing.”

Rainie was convinced she was making the right call and did not hesitate to ring up Wade.

The phone only rang twice before he picked up.

Yara caught the sound of a deep voice, cool and crisp. “What’s up?”

Rainie got straight to the point.

There was a buzz of background noise; he sounded swamped, and the call was over in under a minute.

“All set! He’ll see you tomorrow at two at the West Coast Restaurant

to chat.”

Rainie squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Get some rest tonight. We’ll hash out the details tomorrow.”

Yara nodded. “Thanks. I got it.”

The following day, Yara headed out a solid 30 minutes early.

She checked her watch as she reached the restaurant–two minutes

to spare.

Perfect timing.

Stepping inside, she was led by a server and soon spotted the man by the window.

He was sipping his coffee, looking detached and calm.

He wore a crisp white shirt and black slacks, with gold–rimmed glasses on his nose. The sunlight painted his profile like a scene from a painting.

Yara, in her white tee, jeans, and high ponytail, felt a twinge of self- consciousness about her simple look.

When he caught her eye, he turned.

“Take a seat. What can I get you?”

His voice was like velvet, sending a shiver down her spine. Yara snapped out of it and sat down across from him.

“Sorry for the wait.” Her dark eyes shimmered with a hint of regret.

Wade adjusted his glasses. His tone was even when he said, “You’re not late. I was only five minutes early myself. I got some data crunching back at the lab, so I only have thirty minutes to spare today. Will that work?”

“Perfectly.”

The server approached, and Yara ordered a refreshing lemon water.

Wade did not beat around the bush. “You’re looking to meet up with Professor Olson. What do you need from me?”

His blunt approach took Yara aback, but she appreciated the

directness. “Professor Olson’s out of the hospital, and I’ve no clue where she’s staying now. I was hoping you could come with me to visit her. If that’s okay…”

She hesitated, her eyes darting away for a moment. “And, um, if she loses her temper, maybe you can help calm her down. You know, getting worked up isn’t good for her health.”

The hint of a smile played at the edges of Wade’s lips as he listened.

“I get that you’re swamped, so you pick the time,” Yara said.

Sure, let’s do it in two days,” Wade said as he nodded.

Thanks,” Yara said, her voice filled with relief.

As she sipped her lemonade, a question popped into her head. “Why… Why are you willing to help me?”

Wade’s deep, dark eyes held hers, and for a moment, Yara thought he might not answer. Then, he said, “Because you’re Yara.”

She blinked, puzzled.

*Professor Olson once told me…” he said before pausing to sip his coffee. “She has three regrets in her life. One is that there’s so much science to explore and too little time. The second is not having kids. And the third is you.”

Yara’s heart skipped a beat, her fingertips pressing into her palm.

Wade’s intense gaze did not waver as he studied her, a deep curiosity flickering in his eyes before settling back into a quiet stillness.

That was the first time Wade had met Yara, but her name was not new to him.

What made her so special that Professor Olson would count her. among her greatest regrets, alongside her life’s work and family?

Yara felt a lump in her throat and looked down, trying to hide her emotions.

She could almost see the mix of disappointment and pity in her professor’s eyes when she spoke of her.

Without another word, Wade pulled out a piece of paper and jotted down a series of numbers.

“Here’s my number.“.

Yara quickly looked at the digits, written in a neat, flowing hand.

“Your tiramisu, as requested.”

The waiter set down the dessert with a discreet once–over of the table’s occupants.

The guy had that handsome, just–rolled–out–of–bed look, but there was an edge of annoyance in his eyes.

The girl opposite him was decked out in a Dior red mini and a white Hermès bag that screamed money. She was one of those rich kids. Oblivious to his mood, she chattered away-

“Yale, Mrs. Shultz mentioned you’ve got some stomach issues. We’ve got this amazing doctor who specializes in that. Maybe you can

Yale toyed with his lighter, half–listening.

He had been roped into that setup by his mother, and he was not about to throw a fit. He could not care less about the woman’s rambling.

His eyes wandered and then locked onto a sight across the room. Yara, laughing with some guy.

He could not catch their words, but her smile was unmistakable.

–

The background noise, once just a dull hum, turned into a racket in his head, cranking up his irritation.

Yale scoffed and looked away.

“Time to bail.” Wade was on a tight schedule, and 30 minutes was already pushing it.

Yara got it, and they both got up.

As they left, Wade played the gentleman and held the door for her.

“Thanks.” Yara smiled.

They hit the sidewalk, and Wade said, “My ride’s here.”

“See you in two days.” Yara nodded.

She watched him drive off, then turned to leave and found herself face -to–face with a pair of cold and mocking eyes.

“Moved on so fast, huh?”