I couldn't believe it—time kept freezing around me, random and inexplicable. At first, I thought it was just me being crazy. But one night during a party at my dorm, everything came to a standstill. Everyone was motionless, caught in a frozen moment. Except for Arthur, my ex-boyfriend, who stood at the other end of the room, looking right at me.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, my heart racing as I moved closer to him.

"I needed to talk to you, Hope," Arthur said, his voice filled with urgency. "I've been trying to find the right time, but I never got the chance."

My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity. "You're the one stopping time?"

Arthur nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. "I wanted to make things right, to apologize for everything. I still love you, Hope."

My emotions were a jumble of surprise and longing. "Arthur, I..."

Before I could finish, time resumed its natural flow, the party coming back to life around us with laughter and music. Arthur reached out to me, his eyes full of hope.

"Hope, please, give me a chance," he pleaded.

And in that fleeting moment, I knew that maybe, just maybe, time had stopped for a reason—to give us a second chance at love.