When Lena Hayes stepped foot onto campus, she thought she'd left her past behind. New city, new start, right? But life has a funny way of bringing old ghosts back. Especially when one of them happens to be her high school ex... the one person who st...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Oh..." The word slipped from my lips, barely a whisper as the world seemed to tilt around me. My gaze locked onto his face, tracing every familiar feature—his eyes, his hair, everything the same as it had been back then. The years between us disappeared in an instant, and for a moment, it was like I'd never left.
"What are you—" he started, but the guy at the counter cut him off, his voice shattering the spell.
"Is this yours, ma'am?" the attendant asked, holding up the wallet. His eyes darted between me and my ex, clearly picking up on the thick, uncomfortable tension.
"Yes... yes, it's mine," I barely managed, my voice shaky and distant, like it didn't belong to me.
The attendant smiled, completely oblivious to the storm raging inside me. "Here you go. Make sure not to lose it again," he said cheerfully, as if I wasn't on the verge of falling apart right in front of him.
I forced a tight smile, my heart pounding against my ribs. "I won't. Thank you so much..." The words felt hollow as I clutched the wallet and practically bolted from the counter, my legs moving on autopilot, fast, faster, anything to get away.
Why was he here? My thoughts spun wildly. He couldn't be at the same university—he would've told me, right? No... after everything that happened, why would he? Our relationship had ended like a crumpled piece of paper tossed aside. He'd discarded me without a second thought. Why would he care if I knew where he was? Why would he tell me anything?
My chest tightened, each breath shallower than the last. I felt sick. Nausea rose in my throat, and the ground beneath me seemed to sway. I struggled to focus, my legs moving me forward though I barely registered where I was going. Every step felt heavier, like the weight of the past was clinging to me, pulling me down. I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my racing heart, but the pressure in my chest only intensified.
Then, out of nowhere, I collided with someone, sending coffee flying everywhere.
"I'm so sorry!" I gasped, barely able to form words. "I didn't—"
"Jeez, good job... you ruined my only comfortable outfit." The voice was dry, but unmistakable. Sophie, of course. She was staring down at her now coffee-stained clothes, trying—and failing—to wipe them off.
Her irritation melted when she looked up at me. Her eyes widened in concern as she took in my pale face and trembling hands. "Hey... are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost. What's going on?"
I couldn't bring myself to answer, the knot in my chest too tight to unravel. My stomach was in knots, my pulse pounding in my ears, and everything inside me was screaming to get out of here, to run. "Nothing. Let's leave," I muttered, trying to sound steady, though my voice wavered. "I'll pay for the laundry." Without another word, I grabbed both mine and Sophie's luggage, my hands trembling slightly as I tugged them along.
