Ghost of my Past

Chapter 2- 2nd Chances

    Something inside me, I couldn't quite bring myself to walk to his quarters. But I'd promised Sylvie that I'd be at Molly's the next night, and I kept that promise. So, now I'm sitting at the back of the building, at the end of the bar, facing the door. I'd expected to see Kelly and Stella sitting together most of the night, what I didn't expect was the conversation I heard coming from their table.

    "Kelly, we need to talk."

    "Ok, what about, Stell? You're not having second thoughts about moving in, are you?"

    "For myself, no. But because of the person sitting over there at the end of the bar by herself, yes," At this point, he turned his head to see who she was talking about. She and I both saw the look of shock on his face just before he quickly turned back to her, "I know who she is, Kelly. I already talked to her, she's the girl who joined the academy about a month after you. And then graduated the same, about a month after. I know she was assigned to 51 too, with truck at first, until she wanted to transfer to squad. But you had filled the only available spot, so she transferred to a different house. And I know that that didn't stop the two of you from hanging out and eventually dating."

    "But she left, Stell. And I'm happy with you now."

    "I know you say that. And maybe you've made yourself believe it, but if there wasn't some little part of you that didn't still care about her you wouldn't carry this around," She handed him a picture, "You dropped it at my place yesterday. By age and attire, I'm assuming it was taken at your graduation from the academy."

    "I can explain that…"

    "No need, I talked to Sylvie too. She said that as soon as there was an opening on Squad 3, she transferred back. And that the two of you got pretty serious, until the call that almost cost her her life."

    "Then you also know that she went to New York to complete her rehab and left without telling me anything."

    "I know, but maybe she had a reason for that. You'll never really know if you don't talk to her now. And I'm not mad by the way, she actually said to my face that she didn't come back to steal you away from me, that she knew she had left with no explanation and she hadn't expected you to wait around for her." I saw Stella get up and walk to the other side of the bar, subtly smiling at me as she did.

    I had never been a drinker, so I sat at the bar with Sylvie and Emily. They chatted away while I swirled my club soda and ice in my glass, not really sure how to process what I overheard from the table beside me.

    "Char, are you even listening?"

    "Sorry, no, just thinking about something."

    "Well, what is it? I know that look, somethin's got you worried."

    Before I could answer, I heard a voice behind me say,

    "Charlie? Can we talk...alone?"

A/N: Ooohh!! Who is it? And what is there to talk about?
The story will be primarily from Charlie's perspective, but the italicized part in this chapter is obviously not.

I intended to post this chapter last weekend, and then this week at work has gotten away from me! Oh, well! Let me know you think so far!