"Hey, its been awhile!" He smiles looking down at me.
"Yeah, it definitely has been..." I trail off at a loss of words.
"Uh, we can head back to my place if you'd like." I know him too well but where does he think hes going with this? Its been two years since I last saw him, since I last held onto to him, since I last felt him...
"I dont think thats a good idea..." I mumble. I am still in shock and he knows it.
"Okay, well...why dont we go out for coffee?" He smiles again knowing what hes doing. He used this same line on me years ago.
I sigh looking up at his body. Hes gotten sexier. He was a grad student while I was in undergrad. He must be about 28 now... Hes gotten heftier. his muscles are built, his brown hair is all over the place. He must have been working out before this.
His beard is now full, I can only imagine how good it would feel in between my legs... my eyes wander down.
He shifts, immediately knowing what I am doing with my eyes. Slowly undressing him, thinking about what I would be doing to him right now.
He slowly leans down towards me, "So am I buying you coffee or are you interested in something else?" He softly whispers in my ear sending shivers down my spine. A bolt of electricity hits my stomach. I stumble back, surprised at how bold hes being. He chuckles in amusement. He knows what hes doing to me.
"Yeah you can buy me coffee. I am free Sunday. Does that work?" I say picking my chin up. I will not let him see what he is doing to me.
"Yes ma'am." He laughs. "Ill message you sometime in the morning then. Until then." He smiles backing away.
I roll my eyes. I am still in shock at this encounter I just had. I cant believe I am seeing him again. I never thought this would be happening. I turn away before he can see my big smile.
I guess people are right, right person, wrong timing really is a thing. I smile proudly and make my way back home.
Oh how I didn't know my life would change after this exact moment.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]