her ears. The man's words-so simple, yet so heavy,lingered in the air, swirling around her, taunting her with memories

e on , she had built walls to keep out the ache, the longing, the constant questions. But standing there, with that strang

and sank into its cushions, pulling her knees up to her chest. The apartment, once filled with warmth and laughter, now seemed cold, distant. T

wn warm, but she still picked it up and took a slow sip, savoring the familiar taste. It was a simple com

am

ist in her chest. What had happened? What had gone wrong? She had spent so much time trying to for

to flood in, relentle

-

store, trying to pick out a gift for her best friend, when James had bumped into her. She had spilled her coffee on the counter and he had rush

hint of concern. His dark brown eyes had locked onto hers, and

ine, just a little clumsy." She had smiled, but something about the wa

rin. "I think you're just too distracted by

ase between them, as if they'd known each other forever. She had felt her heart race every time their fin

air between them had been charged with an electric kind of tensi

" he had asked, his voice soft, tentativ

er heart flutterin

at, at the time, it felt like they were two halves of a whole. He had made her feel like she was the most important perso

ntains, evenings cooking together, and late nights curled up on the couch wa

ations, the promises of forever-they had slowly faded into the background, replaced with excuses, misunderst

at it was just a phase, that everything would go back to normal. But then, the day came when he had

urned his back and left, leaving her standi

-

chest tight with the weight of the memories. She had never gotten

her door had ch

And why had he mentioned something that f

he way her heart had skipped a beat when she saw the stranger's eyes. There was something haunti

one thing became abundantly clear: She co

led a number she had thought she would never call a

udible. "I don't know what's going on, but

y blanket. The years of pain, of unanswered questions, had led her to

oped-just for a moment-that maybe, just

-

below the horizon and the stars began

a beat as she saw t

as J