Late to Love

Chapter 17: Old Flames, New Sparks

Lukas felt a strange knot in his stomach as he walked toward the café where he'd agreed to meet Macey. It had been years since he last saw her, yet the idea of facing her now stirred up emotions he thought he'd buried. The city felt colder today, as if reflecting the uncertainty that had settled in his chest. But when he stepped into the warm interior of the café and saw her sitting at a corner table, all of that faded away.

Macey looked as striking as ever. Her hair, once long and flowing, was now cut into a sleek bob that framed her sharp jawline. She wore a simple, tailored trench coat over a chic black dress, paired with ankle boots that gave her an effortless air of elegance. She was scrolling through her phone, unaware of him for the moment. Lukas took a second to take her in before he approached the table, a wave of nostalgia hitting him like a punch.

As soon as Macey saw him, she smiled—a small, tentative smile that made her seem both familiar and like a stranger all at once. Lukas felt his heart race a little, the memories flooding back.

"Lukas," she greeted softly, standing to embrace him. The hug was brief, but it was enough to stir something old and buried between them.

"Macey," he replied, his voice steadier than he felt inside. He slipped into the seat across from her, unsure where to start.

They exchanged pleasantries at first, talking about how long it had been, what they'd been up to. But soon enough, the conversation turned deeper, as it always did with them. After they ordered coffee, Macey finally cut to the chase.

"I heard about you and Stella," she said, her voice neutral, though there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

Lukas nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah... that's done now. We tried, but in the end, she ended it."

Macey tilted her head slightly. "Why? You seemed happy together. I mean, from what I saw on social media, anyway."

Lukas chuckled, though there was no real humor in it. "It's complicated. I thought it was going well, but Stella realized I wasn't fully... present. She could sense that something was holding me back." He paused, glancing at Macey for a moment. "It didn't help that I... thought about you sometimes."

Macey blinked, her eyes widening just slightly, as if she hadn't expected that admission. "You thought about me?"

Lukas nodded. "More than I'd like to admit. You were the first person I ever really loved, Mace. And I guess a part of me never quite let that go."

The silence between them grew heavy for a moment. Macey looked down at her coffee, her fingers tracing the rim of the cup as she absorbed his words.

"I didn't know," she finally said, her voice softer. "I didn't think... after everything, that you would still feel anything for me."

"I didn't either," Lukas confessed, running a hand through his hair. "But seeing you now... I guess some things don't change."

Macey gave him a sad smile, but there was warmth there too. "I'm sorry for how things ended between us, Lukas. I've thought about it so many times—what I did, how I hurt you. I've always regretted the way I left."

Lukas sighed, his eyes meeting hers. "I know why you did it. You were chasing your dream, and I couldn't stop you. I didn't want to stop you."

"I know, but..." Macey hesitated, glancing out the window before looking back at him. "I've been thinking a lot lately about what could have been. About the life we almost had."

Her words hung between them, the weight of what they could have been pressing down on both of them. Lukas didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to reach across the table and take her hand, but he wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do.