Endgame (rough draft)

Part 15

"Everybody's at war with different things...I'm at war with my own heart sometimes."

Hanover, Maryland

It was like Rachel was looking at Ryan for the first time all over again. She felt the need to cry as she hugged her best friend. There's so much she wanted to know. So much she wanted to him. Instead, the only thing that came out was a silent sob.

"Well if it isn't my best friend." Ryan wrapped his arms around her. He tightly held her as if she was going to run away from him. 

"The one and only. Missed me much?"

"You have no idea." Ryan slightly picked her up and hugged her tighter. "Is this even real? It's been so long since I held you."

She left a sloppy kiss on his cheek before she was put down on her feet. How was it possible to miss an individual so much? Rachel never truly realized how much she missed the man until he was standing right in front of her.

The two chatted at a nearby restaurant, where they talked about previous events they missed. It was as if they hadn't been separated for years. Nothing mattered. Not the past and damn sure not the distance. It was fate that brought them back together.

"Advertising Account Coordinator, huh?" Rachel eyed Ryan.

Ryan was truly the definition of the one that got away. Despite everything they had gone through, Rachel still valued him.

"It started out as a personal assistant job. To be honest, I have no clue how I was promoted." Ryan shrugged. "At least the pay is good."

"You damn near run the company, what do you mean you don't know how you were promoted? You must have done something right."

"I always manage to fuck things up. I don't know. I really had no clue what I was doing but was going with the flow. After my mom moved two hours away I was just stuck with no direction. I had nothing to look forward to."

Ryan had dropped his previous friends shortly after graduation. He was a loner in a big city. Skylar and Rachel had moved to unknown locations, leaving him behind. He couldn't complain. The people he loved were chasing their dreams.

The only thing he regretted in life was pushing her towards Davis. Because of him, she married the biggest drug dealer in the city. When he finally received word of her marriage he began to panic. Ryan lost it when he went to Carter looking for his best friend. She wasn't answering his calls nor his texts. Come to find out she left the state without saying anything. He was just about to give up on everything until he received news about a promotion.

"What happened after we last spoke?" Said Ryan. "The last time I saw you we hung out like the old days but there was pain in your eyes. I wanted to question it, but I didn't want to scare you off."

Rachel sadly smiled as she si[[ed her drink. 

"It's in the past now. What do I have to be down for when I have the prettiest woman sitting in front of me?" Ran noticed her hesitation didn't want to push her to reveal anything. 

Rachel laughed at his failed attempt to flirt. 

It was music to his ears. Music that he missed listening to.

Ryan glanced at her ring finger and smiled unintentionally before quickly diverting his gaze. There was no mark from a wedding ring.

"How are things with... Uhm..."