"Why don't you write happy endings?"
"Because they don't exist. When have things ever gone our way in reality?"
"But isn't that why we read stories?"
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A series of excerpts and short stories
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"Hey," I breathed out, smiling softly and heart running a mile per minute. Maybe it was the run, or maybe it was just us.
"Hey," He said, returning my expression then looked around laughing slightly. "Great place for a catch up, huh."
I swallowed. It was the place where we'd had our first date three years ago. So much had changed. We weren't even the same person yet it was amazing how still, some things never changed.
Like the emotions that came with memories.
"They got the best coffees and I'm freezing," I blew air on my cold hands and then froze when I realised something.
He'd said the same thing to me once. Only we hadn't been two people trying to mend our bond then.
He met my eye and it seemed he was thinking the same thing. Then just as I was thinking things would always be complicated between us he broke the ice.
"So, caramel latte?"
Was it okay to say my heart melted that he remembered?
"Definitely. Pumpkin spiced latte?"
He gave me a grin, "Definitely."
And then he called the waitress over and gave our order, and something was so familiar about the whole gesture I sat back in my seat a little scared and a little nostalgic.
It was a few quiet moments before I spoke again. "So, what's new in your life?"
Not that I didn't know most of it already. Just because we were over, never meant I stopped stalking him on Facebook and Instagram.
He shrugged, looking away and focusing on something behind me. "Nothing much, honestly. Got fired from my job from being late too many times but the manager was an ass anyways," He smiled sheepishly before rolling his eyes, "Did me more good than bad actually."
Then he focused on me, "You?"
I looked down at the red table, "Um, life's been...different I guess. With mom gone, it's just not the same you know." I gave a little shrug.
I could feel his gaze on me and the questions in it so I looked up into those grey eyes that still haunted my dreams and almost lost my breath again. His mouth opened but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the waitress delivering our coffee.
I didn't know whether to thank fate or murder it.
"Ah, I definitely missed this," He groaned after taking a sip and I smiled softly, taking a sip of my own and sighing in pleasure when it warmed my insides.
"What happened to your band?" I questioned after a while.
He shrugged, "It wasn't working out for me anymore, so I left it. Been trying to find a good job ever since but I guess people don't want ex-musicians in their service or something."
"But why would you quit Jace? You've got the best damn voice I've ever heard!"
His eyes met mine, "I guess I just didn't have anyone around with that much faith in me anymore."
His words felt like a punch in the gut. Like someone had knocked the wind out of me. It was then that I realised we could never fix anything between us until we addressed the past.
So I opened my mouth but he was the one to say something first. His eyes flickered with indecision.
"Mel," He said looking down at his coffee. "There's something I need to tell you."
His voice was low and he wouldn't look up. I didn't know why my heart suddenly dropped to my toes and I placed my cup down. "Jace," I said. "Is everything ok?"
He didn't answer. In fact he stayed quiet for so long I thought he didn't even hear me. This wasn't a side to Jace I was familiar with. He had always been so open with me, it was hard for me to see him struggling to say something to me. I was just about to ask him if he was alright again when he took in a deep breath and looked up.
"I...I wanted to tell you something. It's...shocking. I'll give you that heads up," He laughed hollowly. "I mean I didn't get one so I thought I'd give it to you so you could, you know like, prepare yourself, or something." He shook his head. "I'm rambling. I know. It's just hard to-to," His eyes found mine and he looked at me so desperately like he wanted me to read everything in there so he wouldn't have to.
"Hard to what?" I asked, heart beating wildly.
"To say it," He said finally. "It's hard to say it. I wasn't even going to, but then I remembered before you broke my heart you were my best friend and you deserved to hear it from me. Not someone else."
I didn't even have time to flinch. Before I could go through my own explanation of why I wanted to meet up with him in the first place, he dropped the biggest bomb on me. It changed my entire life, that one sentence.
