The café was quiet, tucked away in a corner of downtown—one of the only places that hadn't changed in ten years. It was the same place Damien and I used to sneak off to after late nights at the school back when stolen glances and accidental touches meant everything and nothing all at once.
I sat at the booth, heart pounding as I watched the door.
He walked in, and time folded in on itself.
Same sharp jaw. Same eyes. But this Damien was older. Sadder. Like the weight of all the years he'd missed had finally settled into his bones.
He sat across from me without a word.
The silence stretched until it felt suffocating.
"You wanted to talk," I said, keeping my voice even. "So talk."
He looked down, then met my eyes. "You're angry."
"I'm devastated," I corrected. "There's a difference."
He nodded. "You have every right to be."
I bit my lip. My fingers trembled around the coffee cup. "Do you even understand what you did to me?"
"I didn't mean to—"
"Don't," I snapped. "Don't say you didn't mean to. You left. You disappeared. I was in a coma, Damien. And when I opened my eyes, you were gone. Everyone else stayed—Rylan stayed—but you? You ran."
His jaw tightened. "I didn't run."
"No?" I leaned forward. "Then what would you call it?"
He exhaled sharply. "I was forced to leave. My father threatened to ruin your life—your mom's career, your family's name. He wanted to bury you if I stayed. I thought if I left quietly, I could protect you."
"You didn't protect me," I whispered. "You shattered me."
He looked stricken.
"I spent months wondering why," I continued, voice cracking. "Why you didn't fight for me. Why you didn't even send a single message. You let me believe I wasn't worth the effort."
"I thought I was doing the right thing," he said, anguished. "And then when I heard what happened—your coma—I tried to come back. But my father cut off everything. I was stuck. Powerless."
"But you stayed gone," I said. "Even when I needed you most."
He closed his eyes like the words physically hurt him. "I know. And I'm sorry. For every second of those ten years."
I stared at him, the pain in my chest sharp and unbearable.
"I used to dream of this moment," I said bitterly. "Of you coming back. Explaining everything. Begging me to forgive you. But now that you're here… it's not satisfying. It's just sad."
Damien looked down at the table. "I never stopped loving you."
My breath hitched. "And what do you want me to say to that?"
"Nothing. Just the truth."
I stood. My hands shook, but my voice was calm.
"The truth is, you were the love of my life. And losing you broke something in me that might never fully heal."
His eyes met mine, desperate.
"But I've changed, Damien. I've grown. And while you were gone, someone else was here—every day. Rylan didn't just wait. He fought. He never gave up on me."
A flicker of pain passed through Damien's eyes. "Do you love him?"
I paused.
"I don't know what I feel yet," I admitted. "But I know this—I can't go back. Not to who we were. That chapter ended when you left."
He stood too, slowly, his expression unreadable. "So… that's it?"
I looked at him for a long moment. "I don't hate you. But I can't trust you either. And without trust, love doesn't survive."
He nodded, blinking back something. "If you ever change your mind…"
"I won't," I said gently, but firmly. "Goodbye, Damien."
Then I walked out, tears sliding down my face. Not because I was heartbroken—but because I finally let go.
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