The café feels smaller than it did before.
Or maybe it's just that everything inside me has tightened.
I wasn't supposed to see her again.
But there she is.
Standing near the counter like she belongs here—like she's always belonged wherever Daniel is.
She's exactly how I remember.
Composed. Effortless. The kind of woman people look at twice without realizing they've done it.
And Daniel—
Daniel looks like he's been dragged back into a life he tried to bury.
"Aurora," he says quietly, like he didn't expect this collision.
"I can see that," I reply, my voice steadier than I feel.
Her eyes move between us, assessing. Not jealous. Not threatened.
Certain.
"Daniel," she says, her voice calm, almost familiar. "We need to talk."
Not can we.
Need.
That word lands like a claim.
"I'm busy," Daniel says, but there's hesitation there. Just enough.
"With her?" she asks lightly.
I don't miss the way she says it.
Not rudely.
Just… knowingly.
Something inside me sharpens.
"I'm not stopping you," I say, stepping back slightly. "You clearly have history to finish."
Daniel turns to me quickly. "Aurora, wait—"
But I don't.
Because I don't want to stand there while someone else reminds him of a life I wasn't part of.
⸻
I don't go far.
Just far enough to breathe.
Far enough to pretend I'm not listening.
But their voices carry.
Fragments.
Pieces.
"…you left without fixing it…"
"…you knew what would happen…"
"…you think this is over?"
My chest tightens.
Then—
"…you broke more than just us, Daniel."
I freeze.
Because there's something in her tone now.
Not heartbreak.
Something deeper.
Betrayal.
And then Daniel says something too low for me to hear.
And whatever it is—
It makes her laugh.
Not amused.
Not soft.
Sharp.
"Of course," she says. "You still don't get it."
I shouldn't stay.
I know I shouldn't.
But I do.
Because something tells me this isn't just about love.
This is about something he hasn't told me.
Something bigger.
As I turn to leave, her next words stop me cold.
"You didn't just walk away from me, Daniel."
A pause.
Then—
"You walked away from what you did."