Lina settled in her corner, flicking through the newspaper as she waited for her latte. It was Saturday morning, and Lina typically spent it here, her favourite coffee shop. It was quiet, small, and close to her apartment. No one bothered her here, no work calls, no emails, no noisy neighbours. Just her, a latte, and silence.
"Lina?"
Lina's eyes flicked up, expecting the barista with her latte.
"Alan?"
Lina was breathless. She couldn't believe her eyes as she found herself face-to-face with her high school sweetheart. What was he doing here? Lina had moved two hours away from her hometown and rarely visited, leaving memories firmly in the past as she built her new life.
"Lina, it's so good to see you! I didn't know you lived around here!" Alan gushed.
"I can't believe it!" Lina laughed, "What are you doing here?"
"I just moved here. I got a job offer in the city, and I had no reason not to come."
"That's wonderful, Alan! It's so good to see you. I would love to catch up - please, sit with me!" Lina smiled, sliding the paper to the side of the table and clearing room for him.
"Yes, of course! I'm just going to grab a coffee first. I'll be right back," Alan turned and hurried to the counter.
Lina's eyes followed Alan to the counter. His hair was a dark brown, with loose curls, and his jaw was covered in a black stubble. He was broader than his high school days and had grown into his large nose nicely. Lina felt starstruck looking at him. He had always been handsome, but time had been very kind to him.
"Here's your latte, love," the barista smiled, placing Lina's coffee on the table, interrupting Lina's shameless staring.
"Oh, thank you!"
"Of course, just be careful. It's hot," the barista slipped away and returned to the espresso machine to make their next order.
Lina slid her coffee close to herself and grabbed her phone. She swiped left and opened her camera, trying to look her best. She ran her fingers through her black hair, smoothing her bob down. She examined her face, ensuring her lipstick was perfect and eyes not too tired. Feeling satisfied, she closed her phone and tugged her shirt lower. She was wearing a tank top with a cardigan, it wasn't very fancy. If she had known she would be running into Alan, she would have worn something a little more flattering. That said, the low neckline showed off her cleavage, and the cardigan sat against her curves nicely.
The scrape of a chair being pulled drew Lina's attention from herself, and she smiled as Alan settled across from her. He placed his coffee on the table and grinned, his gaze flitting across Lina's face and body, taking her in for the first time in years.
"You're just as beautiful as the last time I saw you," he sighed softly.
"And you're just as charming," Lina laughed.
"Sorry, sorry," Alan chuckled, "I just can't believe I ran into you. I didn't realize how much this city had to offer!"
Lina flushed, her cheeks growing rosy. She glanced at his left hand, which rested on his mug.
No ring
.
"How is someone as sweet as you still single?" Lina asked.
"I guess I've just been too busy. That's another benefit of this job - I have some more time to myself."
Lina nodded, "that's important. Working yourself to the bone doesn't help anyone."
"No, I guess not," Alan mused.
"But you've always been like that, haven't you. Always studying, always working..."
Alan nodded and sipped his coffee, "It's gotten me where I am today, but I don't want to keep on that path anymore. I want to live more in the moment. I sacrificed a lot, and I regret it."
Alan's gaze felt suddenly serious as it bore into Lina's eyes. She felt that he was trying to communicate something deeper to her.
"Is there something in particular you wish you'd held onto?" Lina asked, her heart beating quickly in her chest. She was worried she knew what he missed, that she was opening a door that couldn't be closed.
"Lina..." Alan whispered.
"I know. I'm sorry," she sighed, her gaze falling to the table as she stirred her latte.
Silence hung over the two as they sipped their coffees. It was a familiar quiet that the two had shared many times in their youth. On study dates, watching movies, camping out together.
"I miss you, Lina," Alan murmured, breaking the silence, "I didn't realize how much until I saw you. I haven't stopped thinking about you. I never stopped dreaming about you - about
us
."
"Alan -"
"No, please. Let me finish. I've let too much time pass and sacrificed too much. Running into you here today - it feels like destiny. Looking at you, I mean,
God,
you haven't aged at all. Lina, I never should have let you go - I never should have stopped chasing after us."
Lina felt speechless. Her breath caught in her throat. Here he was, the love of her life, spilling his heart out to her, begging for a doover, asking for a chance to fall in love again.
"You don't need to say anything if you don't want to. I just needed to say
something
