Alex stood outside Nicole's apartment building, staring up at the familiar windows on the eighth floor.
He'd been standing here for five minutes, trying to work up the nerve to go inside.
His phone buzzed. A text from Nicole.
**Nicole: I can see you from the window. Stop stalling and come up.**
He looked up and saw her silhouette in the window, arms crossed.
Of course she was watching.
He pocketed his phone and headed inside.
The elevator ride felt too short. The hallway too familiar. His hand hesitated on her door before he knocked.
She opened it before his knuckles made contact.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
They stood there for a moment, neither quite sure what to do. Finally, Nicole stepped aside.
"Come in."
He walked into the apartment he'd been in a hundred times before. Everything was exactly as he remembered. Sleek. Modern. Perfect.
Just like Nicole.
She closed the door and gestured to the living room. "Sit."
