Across the Miles of Love

Chapter 2: Unraveling Threads

Lena sat in her office, the city buzzing beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows that framed her view. The email from France was still open on her computer screen, mocking her with its promise of both opportunity and uncertainty. She hadn't responded yet, unsure of how to proceed. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, with Ethan at the center of every one of them.

She drummed her fingers against the desk, biting her lower lip in frustration. There was no escaping this—she had to face it. But how? Before she could dive too deep into her thoughts, her phone buzzed. A text from James flashed on the screen.

"Dinner at 8. Don't be late. We need to talk."

Her stomach twisted. We need to talk. The four words that no one ever wanted to hear. She typed a quick response, agreeing to meet him at his apartment later, and returned her attention to the email. She needed a distraction. She clicked "Reply" and began typing a short response to the design firm, confirming her interest in the project. But her hands hesitated over the keyboard when she reached Ethan's name.

Could she really do this? Could she work with him after all these years? The thought of seeing him again stirred a mix of emotions inside her—hope, fear, anger, longing.

Before she could answer her own questions, her office door opened, and Sara strolled in, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Got room for a visit from your best friend?" Sara said, closing the door behind her. She looked at Lena, her eyes narrowing. "Oh no. That look. Spill it."

Lena sighed and motioned for Sara to sit. "It's just... Ethan," she said, watching Sara's face light up with interest. "The project. The email. I still don't know how to handle it."

Sara sat down, crossing her legs with a knowing look. "Lena, you're overthinking it. Just go to France. Face him. Maybe it's the closure you've been needing all these years."

Lena hesitated. "But what if I can't handle it? What if seeing him again makes everything worse?"

Sara leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. "Then you'll know. You can't keep running from the past. Sometimes the only way forward is through."

Lena nodded, trying to take in Sara's words. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was something she had to do, for her own sake. But just as the thought began to settle, the door to her office burst open again. James stormed in, his face red with anger.

"James?" Lena stood up, confused. He was supposed to be at a meeting across town, not barging into her office unannounced.

James waved his phone in the air, eyes blazing. "What the hell is this, Lena?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the room like a blade.

Lena's heart raced. "What are you talking about?"

"This email!" James practically threw his phone on the desk. "You're considering going to France? To work with your ex?"

Lena's blood ran cold. How had he found out? She hadn't even told him. Then, it clicked—her computer. She had left the email open when she left for lunch.

"James, I—" Lena started, but he cut her off, his anger spilling over.

"Are you out of your mind? I've given you everything, Lena. I've supported your career, your ambitions, and this is how you repay me? By running off to work with the man who broke your heart?"

"It's not like that!" Lena's voice cracked as she stood up, her hands trembling. "This is a professional opportunity. It has nothing to do with Ethan personally."

"Don't lie to me!" James shouted, his face inches from hers now. "You think I don't know what's going on? You've been distant for months. And now this?"

Sara stood up, trying to diffuse the situation. "James, calm down—"

"No, stay out of this, Sara!" James snapped, pointing at her. "This is between me and Lena."

Lena felt her chest tighten, tears burning behind her eyes. She hated confrontation, hated the way this was spiraling out of control. "James, I didn't mean for you to find out like this, but I was going to tell you. I just... I needed to figure it out first."

"Figure it out?" James laughed bitterly. "Figure what out? Whether you still have feelings for him?"

Lena's heart sank. She couldn't deny that part of her still wondered what might have been, what could have happened if things hadn't fallen apart so suddenly. But she also knew that Ethan wasn't the only reason she felt distant from James. Their relationship had been on shaky ground for a while, and this wasn't just about the past.

"I don't know," Lena whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't know how I feel anymore."

James's face fell, the anger draining from his eyes, replaced by something far more painful—disappointment. "I thought you loved me, Lena. I thought we were building something real."

Lena's throat tightened as tears finally spilled over. "I do love you, James. But things haven't felt right for a while now. And I don't know if it's because of Ethan, or because of us, or something else entirely."

James stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "I can't do this right now," he muttered, turning on his heel and walking out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

Lena collapsed into her chair, her head in her hands. Sara was by her side in an instant, rubbing her back gently.

"Lena, it's going to be okay," Sara said softly.

But Lena wasn't sure. She had never felt more lost.

That evening, as Lena returned to her apartment, she was emotionally drained. James hadn't returned any of her calls or texts, and the silence between them felt louder than any argument they could have had. She sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone, her finger hovering over the email from the design firm in France.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed again, and this time it wasn't James. It was an unknown number. She hesitated before answering.

"Hello?"

There was a brief pause before a familiar voice spoke on the other end. "Lena?"

Her heart stopped. She knew that voice. She had heard it a thousand times in her dreams. "Ethan?"

"Yeah, it's me," he said, his voice softer than she remembered, but unmistakable.

Lena's breath hitched in her throat. "How... how did you get my number?"

"The design firm sent me your contact details. I didn't mean to intrude, but I thought... I thought it was time we talked."

Lena's mind raced. Ethan. He was reaching out after all these years, just when everything was falling apart. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Ethan said. "But I want you to know, Lena, that I never stopped thinking about you. And if you come to France... well, there are things you deserve to know. Things I should have told you a long time ago."

Lena's chest tightened. The mysteries, the unanswered questions, all of it was flooding back. And now, the door to her past was wide open again.

"I'll think about it," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Take your time," Ethan replied. "But just know... I'm here. And I always have been."

The line went dead, and Lena sat there in stunned silence, the weight of his words sinking in. She didn't know what to feel—hope, fear, anger, sadness. All of it tangled together in a storm she wasn't sure how to navigate.

But one thing was clear: her past wasn't finished with her yet. And neither was Ethan.