Chapter 1168 - Absent-Minded

Renly turned around, ready to walk away, but before he could take another step, he saw a familiar figure approaching him. The figure's pace was slow, as if preoccupied, each step heavy and deliberate. Her gaze seemed distant, absorbed in her own thoughts, detached from her surroundings.

As she looked up, her eyes met Renly's from about fifteen paces away.

The long corridor, illuminated by harsh white lights, reflected a cold and alienating Berlin-style design. The silence in the hall contrasted sharply with the rushed flow of air outside, amplifying the sense of space while dulling the passage of time. In this trance-like atmosphere, the boundary between time and space blurred.

Their eyes locked in the stillness.

In that instant, the illusion of shifting time and space snapped into focus, stirring memories from the past. Renly couldn't help but smile, the way old friends reconnect always bringing warmth. Yet, before he could greet her, the figure before him stopped, a flash of distraction in her eyes. She quickly lowered her gaze again and turned, hurriedly pushing open the door to a nearby stairwell, disappearing from sight as the door swayed, casting erratic shadows on the walls.

Renly stood still, momentarily puzzled. Had she not seen him? It wasn't uncommon to become lost in thought, unaware of one's surroundings.

But then, as if on cue, the door to the stairwell opened again. The figure reappeared, her face breaking into a surprised smile. She shook her head in disbelief, as if she couldn't quite believe it, and approached Renly with an eager, almost frantic enthusiasm. "Jesus Christ, is that really you?"

"I thought I'd met someone familiar but couldn't place it. Then I turned around, and it was you! God! What are you doing here today? I thought you were still in the UK filming. Did you come back just for the Gotham Awards?" she continued, her words coming out in a rush, some overly enthusiastic, others exaggerated to the point of awkwardness—like the stiff, hollow pleasantries one exchanges in social situations.

Renly blinked, processing her words. A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Was he overthinking this? Had the long exposure to London's nobility left him paranoid? The polite masks, the carefully constructed facades—had it all made him too cynical?

His eyes, however, couldn't help but notice the small tell in her demeanor: a slight unease in the way she averted her gaze, followed by the hasty adjustment of her hair behind her ears to mask her emotions. Jennifer had always been open, unpretentious—her emotions laid bare for all to see. It was one of her most endearing qualities, and it was precisely why Renly could sense that something was amiss.

She wasn't hiding it well. This moment was different from the confident, self-assured Jennifer he had known. It seemed like she was putting on a mask of her own, but it wasn't quite fitting.

Jennifer, always the actress, tried to right herself, meeting Renly's eyes with an exaggerated smile. "What? You don't recognize me after all this time? I swear, I was taken aback too, just didn't expect to run into you here."

But the exaggerated tone didn't quite cover the tension beneath the surface.

Renly didn't push, though. People go through their own struggles, highs and lows, and everyone has their reasons. Jennifer hadn't mentioned anything, so Renly chose to pretend he didn't notice. He smiled, the warmth of their past friendship creeping back into his expression, but his gaze softened, giving her more space, offering a sense of privacy.

He then joked lightly, "I was a bit surprised, honestly. My first thought was that the paparazzi had finally figured out my schedule. Doesn't sound like a fun situation, does it?"

His teasing broke the tension, and Jennifer laughed, her laughter light and genuine. Yet, there was something still slightly distant in the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, a wall slowly building between them—an invisible separation.

Renly and Jennifer hadn't seen each other in ages. After the promotional tour for Edge of Tomorrow wrapped up, they'd both been swept up in their busy schedules, with little room for personal connections. Their paths had diverged completely, no chance encounters, no shared events.

The only brief interaction since had been through social media, and the ice bucket challenge—Jennifer's initiative had rallied the Hunger Games cast, raising awareness, but even that was fleeting. They hadn't truly spoken in months, maybe even longer.

Unexpectedly, fate had brought them together here, at Mount Sinai Hospital. Renly's mind wandered back to their first meeting, when Heather had introduced them, and how their friendship had grown. It felt like another lifetime ago, when their lives were less chaotic, simpler.

Renly's next words carried the weight of the moment. "Are you here to help out? Anita and I were just talking about how the hospital has an overwhelming number of volunteers right now. We don't need so many, and she was hoping other hospitals would get some of the help."

The Heather-Cross Foundation had brought much-needed attention to Mount Sinai, and the influx of volunteer applications had skyrocketed. The intentions behind this surge weren't always pure, however. Some applicants were more interested in self-promotion, others in padding their resumes for college, or simply to catch the attention of the media. What had once been a noble effort had lost some of its sincerity.

Jennifer nodded, understanding the issue. "Anita and I talked about that. Maybe we can use social media to raise awareness for other institutions that are also in need of volunteers."

Renly smiled, approving of the idea. "I came today to visit a few kids. They're big fans of The Hunger Games, so I thought I'd read them the original books."

"Fairy tales aren't as exciting as today's stories, huh?" Renly chuckled.

Jennifer laughed, nodding in agreement, but quickly returned to the topic. "So, no Gotham Awards? Are you sure?"

"No, not for that," Renly clarified. "I'm here to visit Annie. I missed her birthday party recently, so I thought I'd bring a small gift to surprise her."

Jennifer's expression softened with understanding. "That's sweet. She'll be thrilled to see you."

"Yeah, I hope so," Renly replied, a rueful smile playing at his lips. "Last time, she was a little disappointed that I couldn't make it."

Jennifer grinned playfully. "Trust me, your presence is the best gift she could get. Imagine, who wouldn't want to see the handsome Renly Hall?"

Her teasing made Renly smile, and for a moment, he was reminded of their time on set, their camaraderie. Yet, as their laughter echoed down the empty corridor, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off, that a distance lingered just beyond the surface.