Thirty and Single.

Chapter 27.

Two years.

That's how long it had been since Colton walked out of my life without a word. No goodbye. No closure. Just silence stretching over months, then seasons, and finally years.

I had just finished my last meeting for the day and was more exhausted than I wanted to admit. My bones ached, my mind was foggy, and my heart well, it still carried bruises I didn't always acknowledge.

As I slid into the driver's seat of my car, my phone vibrated. I glanced at the screen: Parsley.

A familiar warmth tugged at the corners of my heart. We had kept in touch over the years, messaging occasionally, sending holiday wishes. She had graduated and now worked in the fashion industry, exactly what she always dreamed of.

I answered with a small smile. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, Genesis! How have you been?" Her voice was bright but carried a soft undertone of nostalgia.

"I've been... okay," I replied, watching my breath fog slightly in the cool air.

"I'm glad to hear that. Listen, I'm in town. I was wondering if we could meet up for coffee. It's been too long since I've seen you."

Coffee. Sure. But I knew what this was really about—Colton. The one person I never stopped wondering about. Was he better? Was he healing? Had he forgotten about me?

I hesitated for a breath, the silence hanging heavy, then said, "Yeah. I think we can meet."

"Busy Bean?"

"Yup. What time?"

"Would seven sharp work for you?"

"Perfect."

"Okay, see you then!" she said before hanging up.

As I drove home, my eyes wandered to Colton's old house across the street. It looked empty, untouched. Dusty windows, paint fading from the porch railings, the same creaky steps we used to sit on, drinking beers and talking for hours under the stars. That house had known our laughter, our quiet conversations, and the aching tension that hung in the air every time our eyes met but nothing was said.

A lump formed in my throat. I missed him. God, I missed him.

I parked, turned off the engine, and sat there in the quiet. Two years. Not even a message. Not a single sign that I still existed to him. Maybe he'd moved on. Maybe he was finally happy and maybe I should start doing the same.

Inside, I dropped my bag by the door and went straight to the kitchen. The silence in the house made my thoughts louder. Colton once brought me muffins here, warm, from the best bakery downtown. He'd walked in with this goofy grin. I could still hear his laugh echoing faintly in these walls.

I sat at the kitchen table and cried.

Tears rolled silently down my cheeks as I stared at nothing. My chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, and I whispered to myself: It's okay, Genesis. You're going to be okay.

Eventually, I stood, opened the fridge, and grabbed a cold beer. I sank into the couch, watching the TV without really seeing it, until the clock told me it was time to get ready.

I showered quickly, trying to wash off the weight of the memories, then drove to Busy Bean. It was almost seven.

Parsley was already there, waiting near the entrance, bouncing slightly on her feet to fight the evening chill. As soon as she saw me, her face lit up, and before I could say anything, she ran to me and pulled me into a tight hug.