Still remembering:

For a minute or two, he had been speechless, seeing that his plan had fallen by the wayside. It was then that another strategy had filtered into his mind. A truth this time around, but one with an ulterior motive.

“I’m sorry, Emma. I had just wanted to be your friend, to be close to you, but I had seen no other way to do that other than by approaching you as a dummy. I had thought that if I had asked to be your friend directly, you would have turned me down. I’m sorry. I hope you find in your heart to forgive me.” He had recited,...