Hook: The Novel (English)

Chapter 31: Beneath the Surface

FORD'S P.O.V.

"I said the meetup was at 8 PM—it's already 8:30 and you just arrive now!?" Finn scolded the moment I stepped into the restaurant, his arms crossed, clearly unimpressed.

I winced. "Sorry, traffic," I said quickly, though we both knew that was a lie. The truth? I had fallen asleep after convincing myself I just needed a few minutes to rest. By the time I woke up, it was already late, and I still had to shower and pull myself together. I'd rushed, but clearly not enough.

Finn gave me a look that said really?, then sighed. "Lame excuse," he muttered under his breath. Still, his posture holding both on the side of his hips. "Come on, everyone's excited to see you."

He turned and walked ahead, weaving through the restaurant. I followed, hands stuffed into my pockets, heart hammering a little harder with every step.

Tonight is just a small gathering—my friends and Gadiel's friends, who over the years had blurred into one big, chaotic, beautiful group. But now... now I wasn't sure what I was walking back into.

The occasion wasn't anything grand. A quiet welcome-back for me, and a celebration for Prince and Pierre's engagement.

I hadn't even known they were engaged until I got back.

It was one of those happy surprises that also stung a little. I was genuinely happy for them—they were perfect together, and they deserved every bit of joy. But it hit me that I hadn't been there for any of it, the moment they realized what they had, the decision to say yes to forever.

If I hadn't come back, I probably wouldn't have known at all. Maybe I would've found out months later through someone's story or worse—maybe I wouldn't have found out until the wedding had already passed.

Of course, Gadiel is invited too, but I don't know if he'll come.

A small, stupid part of me hoped he would. I was hoping he'll come because of me, Hoping that after our interaction he'll consider meeting me again. Or maybe, hoping he would feel something.

Finn stopped in front of the private room, threw me one last glance, and pushed the door open.

The sound hit first, laughter, loud conversations, the thud of music through someone's speaker. But as I stepped in behind him, everything ground to a halt. It was like someone had pressed mute.

All eyes turned toward me.

Every single person at the table looked up, their conversations frozen mid-sentence, their expressions shifting into various shades of surprise, curiosity, and warmth.

The sudden attention made me weirdly nervous, like I had just walked into a spotlight I hadn't asked for.

"U-uhm... hi?" I said, awkwardly lifting my hand in a small wave.

No one said anything at first. Just a few blinks.

I scanned the table, my eyes moving from familiar face to familiar face.

"Damn, it's really true that he's back—I thought that was only a rumor!" Pierre suddenly blurted out from the far end of the table, eyes wide with surprise.

Prince, sitting beside him, smacked him lightly on the head. "You're always so dumb," he scolded, but there was affection in his voice.

The tension eased a little. People started laughing again.

"It's nice to see you again, Ford!" Julian stood up and pulled me into a warm hug, and others also hugged me.

"Ten years, huh?" Owen said with a low whistle. "You got even more handsome, no cap."