Chapter 362 It's Not Your Fault You Couldn't Love Me
If Sharon wanted to be with Zachary, she should've really tried to see if she could handle it. If she couldn't, it was better for both of them to break it off sooner rather than later.
The next afternoon, Seb got a call from Dana.
Dana said, "Mr. Smith, Ms. Roach brought Demetrius over today."
Seb stayed cool. "Okay, got it."
There was a pause before Dana's voice came back, sounding a bit helpless. "Mr. Smith, aren't you curious about what Ms. Roach is up to today?"
"What’s she doing?" Seb asked.
"I heard from Demetrius that she's going to the movies with Mr. Cook tonight, so she dropped Demetrius off," Dana explained.
Seb's eyes narrowed, and he said in a low voice, "Alright, I understand."
After hanging up, Seb thought for a moment and called Paul in.
"Find out where Sharon and Zachary are watching the movie and get me a ticket for the seat behind them," Seb instructed.
Paul was taken aback for a second. "Okay, Mr. Smith, I'll handle it."
After work, Sharon and Zachary grabbed dinner first and then headed to the cinema. They watched an old romance movie that had been re-released, about two people who split up in their youth and reunited years later. The plot was simple, but the director's strong sense of cinematography made it visually stunning.
Before the movie started, Zachary bought a bucket of popcorn. Sharon and Zachary watched the movie, occasionally grabbing popcorn from the bucket, their fingers brushing against each other. At first, when their fingers touched, both Sharon and Zachary quickly pulled away like they'd been burned.
After a few times, Zachary suddenly held her hand. Sharon's body tensed, and she fought the urge to pull her hand back, letting Zachary hold it. The theater was nearly deserted and enveloped in silence, except for the constant coughing from the person sitting behind them.
As the movie reached its climax, the lead actors were passionately kissing, and Zachary inched closer to Sharon.
"Sharon," Zachary called, his voice hoarse and low, carrying a seductive power.
Sharon turned her head and observed his striking visage drawing nearer. She bit her lip, not with a quickened pulse or bashful flush, but with an overwhelming urge to flee. Zachary didn't notice her stiff body and slowly leaned in.
Just as his lips were about to touch Sharon's, a gritted voice suddenly came from behind.
"Kissing in the theater? Do you have any decency?" Seb's voice cut through the moment.
Sharon was startled and quickly pulled away from Zachary, feeling a sense of relief. After calming down, she realized the voice sounded familiar.
As she turned her head, Zachary also turned his. They confirmed the person behind them was Seb, and Zachary's gaze turned cold.
"Mr. Smith, can you explain why you're here?" Zachary demanded.
"Mr. Cook, I'm here to watch a movie. Can you be quiet? You're disturbing me," Seb said, looking at the big screen, acting as if he was really there to watch the movie.
If Seb hadn't been sitting right behind them and hadn't interrupted just as Zachary was about to kiss Sharon, Zachary might have believed him. Zachary sneered and turned away without a word. Sharon frowned at Seb but said nothing and turned away too.
For the rest of the movie, Sharon stared at the screen, but her mind was all over the place. When Zachary leaned in earlier, her first instinct was to pull away. Her body was telling her loud and clear: she wasn't into Zachary. This hit her with a wave of guilt. Zachary had been so kind and supportive, but she just couldn't feel that spark. Gratitude was just gratitude; it couldn't turn into love.
After the movie, she knew she had to talk to Zachary. Knowing she didn't love him, Sharon felt it was unfair to keep leading him on. The longer it dragged on, the more it would hurt Zachary. Once she made up her mind, Sharon felt a bit more at ease, though the guilt still lingered.
Finally, the movie ended. Zachary turned to Seb, looking annoyed. "Mr. Smith, how long are you gonna follow us?"
He had never seen someone as shameless as Seb. Why was he here on their date?
Seb didn't feel embarrassed at all and raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Cook, I need to go this way to get my car."
Zachary stepped aside. "Fine, you go first."
Seb turned to Sharon, who had been silent with her head down, and said in a deep voice, "Sharon, the movie's over, and your date's done. Shouldn't you go pick up Demetrius?"
Sharon looked up at him. "Demetrius is staying with you tonight. I'll pick him up tomorrow."
Seb's face instantly turned cold, and he said word by word, "What did you say?"
Seb stared at Sharon intently. He hadn't expected Sharon to let Demetrius stay with him. Was she planning to spend the night with Zachary? The more Seb thought about it, the darker his expression became.
"No, I have plans tonight. I can't take care of Demetrius!" Seb insisted.
Sharon gave him a puzzled look. "Isn't Demetrius usually taken care of by Dana? Whether you have plans or not shouldn't matter."
"Dana has things to handle too," Seb replied firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.
After hesitating for a moment, Sharon said, "Alright, I understand. I'll pick up Demetrius before midnight."
Seeing it was almost 10 PM, Seb reluctantly nodded. "Fine."
Seeing Seb still hadn't left, Sharon frowned. "Mr. Smith, I have something to discuss with Zachary. Can you leave first?"
"Alright, but don't forget to pick up Demetrius. By midnight at the latest. If you don't come, I'll have the driver bring him back," Seb said.
"Got it," Sharon said, nodding absentmindedly. She wasn't in the mood to discuss it further; her mind was on how to talk to Zachary.
After Seb left, Sharon pointed to a nearby café. "Let's sit there for a bit," she suggested.
"Okay," Zachary agreed.
Sharon and Zachary sat in the café. As Sharon was pondering how to start, Zachary spoke first.
"Sharon, let's break up," Zachary said.
Sharon looked up sharply, staring at Zachary in disbelief. "Zachary, I..."
Zachary gave a bitter smile and interrupted her. "Actually, I noticed it earlier in the theater. You were very resistant to me. Even though you tried to hide it, we've known each other for five years and I could perceive it effortlessly."
He continued, "When I saw the hesitation on your face and the guilt in your eyes, I knew what you wanted to say. Since I was the one who suggested we get together, let me be the one to say we should break up."
A wave of bitterness surged in Sharon's heart, and her eyes felt a bit teary. "Zachary, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault you couldn't love me," Zachary said gently.