“I promise I won’t be long.”
When they were out of sight, Ellie took a deep breath and crossed the street.
“For a moment, I thought I was seeing things,” she said to Jack, who sat at on a park bench outside the record store.
He stood and removed his hat. “Hello, Ellie.” There was a moment of awkward silence, followed by a long embrace. “It’s good to see your face again.”
When Jack released her, she leaned away to look at him. “You look different,” she said, surprised at how much he had changed. He was taller than she remembered, his shoulders broader. The once tousled locks of sandy-brown hair, which he used to keep hidden beneath his ball cap, had been cut to the scalp, revealing a thin and chiseled face. Before her was a man where once a boy had stood.
“It’ll grow back.” He looked at her with a penetrating gaze, nearly making her regret her decision to leave him. “I like what you’ve done with your hair.”
Reflexively, she lifted a hand and touched the ends of her hair. “I just got it done this morning. I wanted to try something new.”
“Well, it suits you.” He met her gaze.
When the shock wore off, she asked, “What are you doing here, and how did you know where to find me?”
“Sam said you might be here. I hope you don’t mind.” He gave a tentative smile. “I probably should have called, but I didn’t know I was stopping until this morning. I’d planned on going straight home, but since I was so close, I… well… I needed to see you—to let you know I’m back and that I’m okay.”
“I’m glad.” Her breath hitched a little. “That you’re okay. I was worried about you.”
“Oh, I almost forgot.” He grabbed a bouquet of pink carnations and a book on stars and handed them to her. “I got these for you. Sam said that one just came out. You haven’t read it, have you?”
She examined the cover and shook her head. “Thank you, Jack, but you really shouldn’t have.”
“I know, but I wanted to. Listen, I’m sure you’re busy, but is there somewhere we could talk?”
Ellie hesitated, considering the consequences of dredging up feelings she’d spent the past year burying.
“Please? I’ve come a long way. All I ask is for ten minutes.”
She agreed, feeling as if she owed him at least that much. “But I don’t have long. I promised the girls I’d meet them for lunch.”
They found a little café and sat at one of the outdoor tables. Ellie sipped on a glass of water while Jack drank coffee.
“This is nice,” he said, taking in his surroundings. “Being here, seeing you again.” His gaze drifted to her and wandered over her face. “You don’t know how many nights I prayed for this moment.”
But instead of returning his gaze, Ellie glanced absently at her watch.
“I know you don’t have much time, so I won’t beat around the bush.” He set down his coffee and cleared his throat. “When I got your letter last summer, I was shocked, but in a way I wasn’t. Maybe it was just me, but I’d felt for a while as if things between us had grown cold. I won’t lie. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that you had ended things, but eventually I put myself in your shoes, and I realized that being apart wasn’t only difficult for me, but for you as well. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I understand why you did what you did. Neither of us asked to be put in that position, and we did what we had to—to survive.”
Ellie looked up, surprised by his words. “Thank you, Jack. That means a lot.”
Jack took a sip of coffee and went on. “But now that I’m back, I was hoping there was a chance for us to, you know, start over, maybe give it another shot? I realize it’s a lot to ask, but being away for two years and seeing the things I’ve seen has taught me that life is short, and when we see something we want, nothing should stand in our way. So I guess what I’m trying to say, Ellie, is do you think there’s still a chance for us?” He reached for her hand, but she dropped her eyes as a quiver of guilt rippled through her.
This was the part of the conversation she was hoping to avoid. Finally, she found the courage to look him in the eye. “Jack, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m sort of seeing someone at the moment.”
Taking back his hand, Jack was speechless for a long time as he processed her words. “How long?” he finally asked.
“Not long. A few months.”
“I see.” He took a moment to compose himself. “Is that the real reason you called things off, because you found someone else?”
“No. It’s not like that at all. Being away from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Everything I wrote in that letter was truthful—every word.” Pain funneled into her heart. “Finding someone new wasn’t part of the plan; it just happened.”
Jack’s shoulders slumped forward in disappointment. He glanced at the ground. “So who’s the lucky guy?”
Ellie hesitated, knowing that the truth would break his heart. “Mike,” she finally said, then studied his face carefully.
