I blinked hard, hoping he would disappear when I reopened my eyes. But when I did, he was still there staring at me through the glass. And all I could do was stare back, frozen in place.

"Rachel? You there?" Polly's voice echoed through the phone. She sounded alarmed. "What's going on?"

I started, jolted back to reality. "Uh... I..." I sputtered, unable to find the words.

The spell over Rick seemed to have broken too. His whole body jerked, then he lunged forward, running to the café's door and throwing himself inside the small café.

"Rachel!" he gasped, somehow out of breath.

"Who is that?" Polly asked.

"Rick," I murmured, not sure to who. Was it a greeting? An explanation? Or maybe it was an attempt to convince myself that he really was standing there, right in front of me.

"Rick?!" Polly growled. "Rick as in Rick the Cheating Dick? Are you fucking serious?"

I am fucking serious, I thought, though I couldn't make my mouth work to pass that message along.

His hazel eyes trailed over me, his mouth hanging open like he was witnessing someone coming back from the dead. He had changed. He wore glasses now, thick frames that dominated his soft freckled face. His light brown hair had been shaved down to a close crop. But some things were the same, unchangeable, like the deep double-set dimples in his cheeks.

I was surprised by how well I remembered his face. I hadn't seen him since that one last brief encounter at our old apartment, when I told him that I never wanted to see him again.

So much for that request.

"I can't believe it's really you," he mumbled, taking two staggering steps towards me. 

I flinched back from him and he stopped, his face tightening.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered.

"Are you talking to him? Let me talk to him, I'll tell him exactly what I think of his slimy ass—" Polly continued to jabber in my ear, but her voice drifted away as my stunned brain couldn't keep focus on two things at once.

"I just moved into one of those new condos, you know, one block over." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "Are you living around here too? Hayden said he saw you nearby."

Not sure what to do, I just nodded stiffly.

"I was hoping I might run into you," he continued, oblivious. He smiled at me then. I had forgotten how much I liked his smile.

Used to like, I quickly corrected myself.

Polly kept talking. "—up his ass. You hear me?"

"Uh..."

"Rach?" Polly replied. "Are you listening? Are you alive?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine... I just..." I finally managed to answer. My brain kicked back into gear and it finally occurred to me. I needed to get the fuck out of here. "I... I need to go." I made a move for the door, pushing past Rick, focusing on the exit.

He grabbed my arm, jerking me back. "No, Rachel, wait—"

"Let me go!" I whipped around, my cheeks flaring to red. I wrenched my arm free—

My phone went flying. It soared across the small café, smashing into the side of the counter—making the barista jump—before clattering on the floor.

"Shit!" I said, diving for it. The screen was black and the glass was even more fractured. I jabbed at the home button: no effect. "Shit!"

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry!" Rick was hovering just behind me. "I'm so sorry, that was my completely fault..."

Ignoring him, I pressed power over and over as I stood up, hoping for a miracle, but the phone stayed dead. "No, no, no, no..."

Guess I now knew where my first paycheque was going. Dammit.

"Let me buy you a replacement," Rick offered. "It's the least I can do. Please."

"No," I said sternly. I wanted nothing more from Rick. I just wanted to get out of here.

"I insist!" he pressed. "You know it's not my money, anyway—it's dad's." He laughed, but it sounded strange and awkward. "Speaking of, he mentioned you just the other day. He would love to see you. Mom too."

I went still. I really didn't want to think about his parents, not now. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" he said. For some reason, he looked wounded. "Look, I know I messed up, but you don't have to punish them. They worry about you. They miss you."

I averted my eyes. Truth was, I missed them too. When I cut Rick off, I had to cut them off as well, even if wasn't their fault their idiot son had cheated on me...

"I worried about you too, you know," Rick continued, closing in. "I didn't know where you were, how you were doing... And then, when I heard your apartment burned down—"

I took several steps back, but there was nowhere else to go. He had me cornered. I tried to slip past him again, but he only stepped in front.

"—you could've at least said, 'I'm alive.' I deserve to know if you're okay, don't I? I mean, I screwed up but you don't have to treat me like I never existed—"

"Enough!" I snapped, finally bringing my gaze to meet his. "You don't get to lecture me!"

He looked startled. "I didn't mean... I'm sorry." He closed his eyes and pinched at the skin between his brows. "You're right, I don't get to lecture you. But I was trying to contact you..."

"I know." I sighed. Maybe if I just let him talk, he'd be satisfied and let me leave. "Hayden mentioned that."

"Then why didn't you answer?"

A humourless laugh escaped me. "You really have to ask?"

He gave me a questioning look. "I get you were pissed, but it was important. I still have some of your stuff."

"I took everything I needed when I left," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Not that," he replied, his shoulders slumping. "I have some of your mail."

I gave him a weird look. "I changed my mailing address for my bills months ago."

"It's not bills," he said, exasperated. "They're from your family."

I stiffened, a chill climbing my spine. "Well, you can toss those. I don't want to hear anything they might have to say."

"I figured that might be the case," he said with a knowing nod. And for a moment, the space between us was thick with our years of history. "But there's one from your grandmother too."

"Grandma?" I echoed, my defenses faltering. The chill wormed its way into the base of my stomach. I hadn't heard from Grandma for years, not since I was in high school, when she had to move into the care facility and I moved into Rick's house. And anyway, after her stroke there wasn't much left of Grandma to hear from.

What could she have possibly sent my way?

"See?" Rick said, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he read me with ease. He always did have a talent for figuring out exactly what I was thinking. "I knew you'd want that one."

In a perfect world, I would never have to speak to, or even see, Rick again. But if I wanted that letter... "Maybe," I replied, my defenses back in place.

"Well, maybe you can let me know," he said. One corner of his mouth quirked up, bringing out a single dimple. "My number is still the same. Do you remember it?"

I forced a nod.

"Good," he said.

A heavy moment passed between us. Rick seemed to be examining me, his eyes tracing slowly over my face. I wondered what he made of this new Rachel. I wasn't the person he used to know anymore.

Then he gave another stiff half-laugh. "Well, I guess I should be going," he said. "It was nice to see you again, Rachel." He reached out to touch my shoulder, but his arm froze midair for a moment before he dropped it again.

I said nothing.

He lingered for another second before he stepped back and turned away. He headed for the exit but as he reached the door, he hesitated. He looked back over his shoulder, sending me one last look and one last smile, before he stepped out onto the street and disappeared around the corner.

Even once he was out of sight, I couldn't make myself move. I wasn't sure how I was still standing—my limbs were numb. Even my eyes were frozen, staring at the empty space he had vacated.

None of this felt real. Surely this had been just another bizarre nightmare.

A cough broke the silence.

My face flared up as I remembered. The barista! He was still there—he had been there the whole time. He had witnessed everything.

I turned slowly to face at him.

His eyes met mine. His brows were arched so high they were hidden in his stylish swoop of bangs. He blinked once at me, and then: "Damn."

My cheeks burning, I fled out onto the street.

Great. Now I had another café I could never go back to.

+ + +

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