All those years ago- Joseph Quinn

Rain, bad coffee and dinner

The coffee was bland and lacked any real sense of originality. The conversation just happened to match.

"So rain"

"Yeah it's raining" Adrianna mumbled

"The coffee is-"

"Terrible" she added. Joe simply nodded, the pair were honestly unsure of what they're supposed to say. Adrianna was mentally groaning at herself for arranging this, she wasn't sure how to bring everything up, she felt like she was drowning in the tension between them.

"Look Addie"

"Adrianna" she corrected.

"Adrianna- why did you want to do this?" Joe asked hesitantly. He too felt the awkward tension and couldn't figure out how to shift it.

"Honestly I thought it was time I explained myself but I don't think I can. Everything I come up with in my head makes me sound ridiculous" she chuckled. "I wanted to explain why I left, without saying anything" she added.

"You didn't owe me anything. I was just hurt I guess." He mumbled sipping his coffee, he scrunched his nose up at the taste and Adrianna smirked. "I thought it might taste better the more I drank but I'm incredibly wrong" he laughed.

"I didn't owe you anything you're right. However it was still wrong for me to leave someone I've known since literal birth, without saying goodbye." She sighed.

"Why did you?"

"I was afraid if I said goodbye I wouldn't go." She explained. "I also assumed you wouldn't care if I left" she mumbled softly as he looked down at the liquid swirling in her cup.

"Well you were incredibly wrong because I destroyed my room in anger that night." He laughed harshly. Adrianna's head snapped up, her eyes meeting his sad ones. "I knocked on your door to see if you wanted to go see the last Harry Potter movie with me, your mum answered and her face fell in confusion when I asked if you were there. She told me you had left for Paris an hour ago" he explained. His face had now completely fallen retracing the events of that evening, his heart still hurting.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled.

"It's fine, it was six years ago." He paused for a moment. "Wow it's been six years" he laughed. Adrianna looked at him puzzled for a moment giving him a questioning look. He simply shook his head laughing.

"What?" She laughed.

"6 years ago you broke my heart Adrianna Bennett. I thought I'd never see you again but here we are, having the most disgusting coffee ever." He laughed.

"You broke mine first Joseph Quinn" she smiled weakly, taking her bottom lip between her teeth, instantly regretting the words that left her mouth.

"And I regret it more than you know" he spoke softly. Their eyes lingered on each other's for a moment, their minds filling without thoughts of regret, memories and what if's. Joe lightly placed his hand on top of Adrianna's as it rested on the table, their touch feeling infinite before Adrianna quickly removed her hand from under his. With his hand feeling empty all of a sudden he quickly placed it back on his lap, looking down as the tension refilled the room.

"Caleb" Adrianna mumbled.

"He seems like an asshole" Joe chuckled breaking the tension.

"I promise he's not like that all the time. He's just-"

"Controlling?" He suggested, Adrianna shook her head aggressively.

"Protective" she corrected him.

"You missed my graduation" Joe mumbled sadly. Adrianna looked at him sadly for a moment, guilt filling her remembering he always talked about the day he'd graduate drama school, the plans he had for that day for them.