I met her the next morning.
Not in some dramatic, life-changing way.
Not with music playing or the world slowing down.
Just coffee.
That was all.
I was standing in line at the small beach café we'd been going to since we were kids. The place hadn't changed. Same faded menu. Same cracked wooden floors. Same smell of coffee and salt air mixed together.
Same memories.
I used to come here with Isabella every summer morning.
She'd always order the same thing. Iced vanilla latte. Extra sweet.
She hated bitter things.
I used to drink mine black.
I told myself it was because I liked it.
But maybe it was because I was used to swallowing things that hurt.
"Next."
The cashier's voice pulled me forward.
"Black coffee," I said automatically.
"Still hate sugar?"
The voice didn't belong to the cashier.
It belonged to her.
My body reacted before my mind did.
I turned.
Isabella stood there, sunlight catching in her dark hair, her eyes soft with familiarity. She was smiling like she always did when she saw me.
Like I was home.
I felt that familiar pull in my chest.
Dangerous.
Comfortable.
Temporary.
"You remember," I said.
She laughed lightly. "Of course I remember. I remember everything about you."
The words should've meant more than they did.
Maybe once, they would have.
She stepped closer.
"I was actually hoping I'd run into you," she said.
I nodded. "Yeah?"
She hesitated.
Then smiled in that shy way that meant she was nervous.
"Adrian asked me out."
There it was.
Official now.
Final.
I forced myself to nod again.
"That's… good."
She studied my face carefully.
Waiting.
For something.
I didn't give it to her.
Her smile faltered slightly.
"I said yes."
The words landed softly.
But they echoed loudly inside me.
Of course she did.
She always chose him.
She shifted her weight.
"You're okay with it, right?"
That question again.
Like my approval was part of her decision.
Like my feelings existed only to validate hers.
I met her eyes.
For the first time in years, I told her the truth.
"It doesn't matter if I am."
She blinked.
Surprised.
I had never said that before.
I had never sounded like that before.
Before she could respond, the cashier called my order.
I stepped forward, grabbing the cup.
"I'll see you later," I said.
Simple.
Neutral.
Distant.
I walked past her.
And for the first time…
I didn't look back.
"Hey."
The voice stopped me just outside the café.
It wasn't Isabella.
It wasn't familiar.
I turned.
She stood there, holding a drink in her hand.
Blonde hair. Calm eyes. Quiet confidence.
She wasn't trying to be noticed.
And somehow, that made her impossible to ignore.
"You forgot your change," she said, holding out a few coins.
I looked down at my hand.
She was right.
I hadn't even realized.
"Thanks," I said, taking them.
Our fingers brushed briefly.
It was nothing.
And yet… it didn't feel like nothing.
She didn't pull away awkwardly like most people did.
She didn't rush.
She just looked at me.
Not through me.
Not past me.
At me.
"You looked like you needed the coffee more than the money," she said.
There was no judgment in her voice.
Just observation.
I let out a quiet breath. "Something like that."
She nodded slightly, like she understood more than I had said.
"I'm Chloe," she said.
Daniel.
My name felt different when she said it.
Not like a label.
Like she was actually seeing the person behind it.
"You live here?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"No. Just here for the summer."
The summer.
Something about those words felt significant.
Dangerous.
Temporary.
Same as everything else.
Behind us, the café door opened.
Isabella stepped outside.
Her eyes found mine instantly.
Then they shifted to Chloe.
Something in her expression changed.
It was small.
Barely noticeable.
But I saw it.
Confusion.
Curiosity.
Something else.
Something new.
Chloe followed my gaze.
She didn't ask.
She didn't assume.
She just looked back at me.
"You should go," she said gently.
I frowned slightly. "Why?"
She gave a small, knowing smile.
"Because she looks like she's not used to waiting for you."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because they were true.
Isabella had never waited for me.
I was always the one waiting for her.
I looked between them.
My past.
And something that might be my future.
For the first time in years…
I didn't know which one I would choose.
Chloe stepped back slightly.
"I'll see you around, Daniel."
Not if.
Not maybe.
Confidence.
Calm.
Certain.
She walked away without hesitation.
Without needing me to follow.
And somehow…
That made me want to.
Behind me, Isabella called my name.
I closed my eyes briefly.
And realized something that scared me more than losing her ever had.
For the first time in seven years…
Staying didn't feel automatic anymore.