HUGH
Hey Cal…I know things ended a bit rocky between us, but I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately.Would you be up for grabbing coffee sometime this week?
I stared at the message, reading it over and over.Shock, sadness, confusion, anger, and a flicker of curiosity.Why was Hugh reaching out after weeks of radio silence?
Marco leaned forward, his brow furrowed.“Everything okay, babe?You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I bit my lip, debating whether to confide in him.But this was Marco, my ride or die.If anyone would understand, it was him.
“It’s Hugh,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.“He asked to meet for coffee.”
“Hugh doesn’t drink coffee.”
“Is that really the point right now, Marco?”
“You’re right, you’re right.”He threw his hands up in surrender.“What are you going to do?”
I stared down at Hugh’s message, my thumb hovering over the screen.A part of me wanted to ignore it, to delete the text and carry on with my evening as if nothing had happened.But another part of me, a part that I hated to acknowledge, was curious.What could he possibly have to say that would change anything?I told him I wanted—no,deserved—more, and he barely offered more than a half-hearted apology.
On the other hand, I had devoted five years of my life to our relationship.My sense of loyalty demanded I respond to him.Marco watched over my shoulder as I typed.
CALLIE
Hi, Hugh.My days are pretty busy, but I’m free tonight if you want to meet somewhere.
“Oh, damn, girl.Wasting no time.Guess you do need to get fucked.”
“Shut up, Marco.I’m just trying to get this over with.I don’t need this looming over me the rest of the week.”
My phone buzzed in my hand a few moments later.
HUGH
Oh, ok.Perfect.Sister’s?
CALLIE
That works.Give me an hour?
HUGH
Ok, see you then.
I whooshed out a breath.How would it feel to see Hugh again?I missed the idea of him more than I actually missedhim.What did that say about me?
An hour later, I was pushing through the doors of Sister's Bar and Grill.It was only a brief walk from Marco’s apartment.That was probably why Hugh had suggested it.Considerate.A side of him I hadn’t seen in a long while.
It was a Tuesday, so the bar was relatively quiet.Most of the regulars were probably still nursing their New Year’s hangover.I spotted Hugh immediately, forearms braced on the table as he hunched forward in the booth, his fingers speared through his light brown locks.
I set my jaw and made my way over, sliding in across from him.For a moment, neither of us spoke.
“Hey.”His voice was soft, and he gave me a shaky smile.“Thanks for meeting me.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say.Part of me wanted to lash out, demand to know why he’d reached out after weeks of nothing.But I held my tongue, waiting for him to make the first move.
Hugh sighed, rubbing his forehead.“Look, Cal, I know things ended badly between us.And I’m sorry for that.I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I realize I made a mistake letting you go.”
I swallowed around the painful lump in my throat.How many times had I wanted him to fight for our relationship?To show me the kind of passion and affection that I only read about in books.But now, sitting across from him, I felt...nothing.No spark, no flutter in my chest.Just a dull ache for what we once had.
