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Three

He couldn't believe it. Charley was finally coming back. Jacko had mentioned it casually in the tower a few days ago.

"Emma's roommate is moving in with her in a few days. She said you'd know her, Mouse. I think her name's Carly or something."

His heart skipped and he nearly dropped the binos he was looking through. "Charley? Was her name Charley?" He asked, trying not to sound too excited.

Jacko nodded, mouth full of sandwich, "Yeah, that was it".

Mouse stared out the tower, eyes scanning the water without being able to focus on anything in particular. "I can't believe she's finally moving back here," he said to himself.

Mouse's stomach rumbled, bringing him back to the present. Checking his watch, he noticed it was practically his lunch break.

"Hey boys, I'm gonna dip out and take my lunch now. I'll be back, just gonna walk across and grab it."

Jacko and Whippet nodded, the only other two in the tower with him. He had been distracted as he walked across Campbell Parade to pick up his lunch and back. Walking across the promenade, he saw Jacko talking with some girls. He recognized one as Emma and stopped dead in his tracks. Surely it couldn't be. He knew she was supposedly moving back, but wouldn't let himself fully believe it. Yet there she was, standing no less than five yards from him.

"Charley?" He heard his voice say, not realizing he had spoke.

She turned around and stared at him with a look of confusion across her beautiful face, her bright green eyes sparkling as the sun hit them.

"Yeah?"

She hadn't changed much, still slender and toned with her signature long dark locks. His heart was practically in his throat as his eyes dragged over her bikini clad body, thankful he decided to keep his sunglasses on. She had grown up into a breathtaking woman.

"Is that really you? What are you doing here?" He asked in disbelief.

"Charley just moved back, Mousey," Emma answered.

"Really?" He asked again, smiling and walking closer to the group. Of course, he knew she was going to be moving back, but it still felt too good to be true.

Charley nodded and cleared her throat, speaking again, "I told you I'd come back." Her voice was like music to him. Smooth and low, just as it was when he first fell in love with her.

Mouse laughed softly, "Fifteen years later."

He was certain that at any moment, his alarm would ring and he would wake up, realizing this had all been a dream. He had imagined this moment so many times but never thought it would actually happen. He never thought he would actually see her again.

"I have to get back to work, but I'd love to catch up," he said, motioning to the lifeguard tower.

Charley nodded, and tucked a curl behind her ear, "Yeah, that would be nice." She was just as beautiful as he had remembered her.

"Do you want to meet me back down here at seven?" He asked.

"Sure, that works."

"I'll see you then," he said as he smiled and shook his head. "I can't believe you're back," he laughed as he and Jackson walked back into the tower.

***

"Mate, you've got it bad," Jacko laughed as the boys sat down at the desk in the tower.

Mouse ignored him as he pulled his lunch out of the take away bag. Whippet and Maxi were sitting at the desk already, scanning the water.

"You shoulda seen him," Jackson said to the boys, "We ran into Emma and her friends. Her new roommate is here and Mouse practically had hearts for eyes."

"She's back?" Whipped smiled, looking at Mouse, who couldn't hold his own smile back any longer.

"I swear she hasn't aged a day," Mouse answered, leaning back in his chair.

Maxi set down his binos and turned to the group, "Somebody gonna fill me in?"

Turning his attention to the younger lifeguard, Whippet laughed, "Long story short, Mouse's old girlfriend just moved back. He was head over heels for her back in the day. Looks like he still is."

Mouse didn't bother responding. He just sat in his chair with a smile glued to his face as he ate his lunch. Charley is finally back.

***

What just happened? "Fuck Emma," I breathed quietly, as we walked away.

"Still?" She raised her eyebrows, a bit shocked.

"What do you want me to say? I never got over him. Hell if I tried, too."

I had dated a slew of men upon arriving back to the states all in the hopes of forgetting him and moving on, but no matter how many guys I dated, I always compared them to him - and none of them measured up.

"Well babes, wait until you hear wha-" she started, but I had cut her off with my hand.

"Emma, please. I don't want to talk about him anymore right now. It's bad enough I'm still hung up on the guy after dating him fifteen fucking years ago."

"But you're gonna really like -" Fiona tried to argue, but got cut off by me again.

"Seriously, please."

The girls exchanged a look and shrugged, dropping the subject of him. We walked back to our home talking about anything else. I couldn't remember what they had chosen to talk about. My mind was still spinning from seeing Michael.