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I’ve even forgotten why I was in a mood with Reece.
“Are we meeting for lunch?” Reece asks. He stayed over last night, although I don’t know why he bothered, as we didn’t have sex. And, if I’m being brutal, my mind wasn’t on him.
“Sure. Are you going into the office?” I ask.
“Um, no, I thought I’d just work from here. I’ve got a few online meetings. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Seriously, Reece.” The anger at the thought of arriving home to my place being taken over flares back to life. “I don’t mind you coming over, but I thought you’d have reconsidered working here after what happened at the weekend.” He puts his hands up and backs towards the kitchen door.
“Okay, relax. Who got out the wrong side of bed this morning?”
“Please, don’t make fun of me. It’s my house. I’m just asking you to consider me before taking up residency.”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’re not there yet. You’ve made that perfectly clear.” He chuckles, but his comment makes me see red.
“No. No, if you’re going to be like that, then no, you can’t squat in my front room to work. Go to your office or even your own place. I’m running late. I’ll see you at one.” I storm off and slam the front door.
Perhaps my reaction was a little overboard, but I’m done with him taking liberties, and what I first saw as safe and easy has started to shift to being a nuisance. He’s company, but not even good company at the moment.
The bad mood from Monday and now the confrontation with Reece keeps my mood sour. I even snap at work, which is unheard of for me.
By lunchtime, my nerves have grown to the point I nearly cancel on Reece. Still, I make the short walk to the coffee shop, although my footsteps slow as I approach, not because of meeting Reece, but because of the possibility of seeing Jeremy.
I’ve been coming here for years and have never seen him before, but the vision of him is now engrained in my mind.
My heart pounds for a few moments before I shove the nonsense aside and walk to the door. It might not have even been him.
But as I reach for the handle, it opens, and he walks out, nearly running me over.
We both stop, staring at each other as if the rest of the world has faded away.
“Anna.” My name on his lips sounds like relief and salvation all at once.
“What are you doing here?” I jump in, brittle and rocked to my core.
“Just getting a coffee.” His face scrunches as he answers.
“I mean, why are you here, in town?”
“I live here. Always have. You know this, or have you tried to forget everything about me?” There’s a smile threatening his lips, but it’s forced.
“Don’t be silly.” I step aside, needing a minute. “I assumed you’d left. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” I try to justify my questions.
“I’ve travelled and been away for work, but I’ve never left, not for more than a few months at a time. My mum’s still here, too.” He takes a step towards me. “You look fantastic, Anna.” He goes to move closer to me again.
“Stop.” I pull away from him, moving back in balance with his movement closer, but it’s not far enough that I don’t notice his eyes. They’re sad like they used to be at school before we got together, as though there’s not enough light in his world to brighten them.
I turn around to stop the connection, but I can already feel it coiling around my heart.
“Don’t go, Anna. Please.” He reaches out to stop me, but I can’t. A surge of anger hits me as I wield around to face him again.
“You broke me. You tossed me aside for someone else like we were nothing and left me to drown.” My words burst out at him.
“And you left me,” he comes right back at me.
“That’s not how I remember it.” I shake my head.
“Really?”
