Chapter 3 Too Near To Ignore

The sun had already set and the city's streets were shining with golden light when I left the office.

A part of me didn't want to go home just yet, even though I was exhausted and worn out from the crazy day.

I could still feel Evan's presence, lingering like a ghost in my chest.

And then I saw him leaning against the side of his car, looking... ordinary, perfectly dressed, and yet impossibly magnetic.

"Harper," he said, voice careful. "I was hoping we could talk before you left."

I hesitated, heart hammering. "Talk about...?"

"Today, us, and everything we didn't say."

I wanted to step back, to retreat into safety, but some stubborn part of me stayed. "Fine," I said, voice steadier than I felt.

We walked a few steps away from the streetlights, into a quiet side the hum of traffic fading behind us, and the air was cool, carrying the scent of rain from earlier.

"I've thought about that day...about leaving," he said quietly, eyes fixed on the ground.

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I needed time to... figure myself out. But all I did was hurt you. And I'm sorry."

I was shocked, my throat tight. "You think I didn't feel that too?" I said, and my voice was trembling slightly.

"You think two years of avoiding the truth didn't hurt me every day?"

He nodded, his eyes were full of emotion. "I know and I was wrong, I was a coward."

The silence that came after was heavy but not too bad. It was honest, real, and too painful.

I could see the years of regret written all over his face, and for the first time, I realized I had carried just as much resentment, longing, and maybe even hope.

"I don't know if we can fix this," I admitted, voice low. "Or if we even should."

He stepped closer, careful not to rush me. "I don't know either," he said. "But I do know that I don't want to spend another day pretending I don't care."

I looked at him, the golden light of the streetlamps catching his hair, his eyes, the curve of his mouth that had haunted my dreams. I wanted to argue, to walk away, to protect myself..but my legs refused to move.

All I could do was whisper, "Neither do I."

And just like that, the past and present collided, leaving us teetering on the edge of everything we had lost... and everything we might still have.

We stood in the quiet alley, with the distant buzz of the city. For a moment, it felt like the world had gotten smaller just the two of us. My heart raced as I thought about how he had hurt me in the past and how much I still wanted him.

"I shouldn't have left," Evan said, his voice almost lost in the wind. "And I can't promise I'll never mess up again... but I want to try. With you."

I swallowed hard, and Part of me wanted to run, to shield myself from getting hurt again. But another part...the stubborn reckless part I hadn't felt in years wanted to believe him.

"You don't know if I want that," I said softly, though my voice betrayed me, trembling.

"I know," he admitted. "And I'll wait. I don't care how long it takes."

The truth hit me hard in the chest. Waiting, hoping, wanting it had been what I had done all these years. And here he was, offering it back to me, raw and honest.

A sudden gust of wind made me shiver. Evan noticed and draped his jacket over my shoulders. It was the same jacket I had loved years ago, the one he always insisted I keep when it was too big, too warm, too his.

I froze, and my heart was hammering. Memories flooded in laughter in the rain, stolen glances across office desks, the nights we had spent tangled in each other's arms, talking about everything and nothing.

"Harper..." His voice cut through my thoughts. "Can we... start over? Not pretend the past didn't happen, but... see if there's still something here?"

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to throw myself into him and erase the years of distance in one breath. But caution, pain, and pride held me back.

"I don't know if we can," I admitted, voice barely audible.

He nodded slowly, like he expected it. "Then let's take it one step at a time. No pressure. No expectations. Just... us."

We lingered in the alley a little longer, side by side, neither of us moving, neither of us speaking. There was understanding in that stillness, and a fragile truce between past regrets and future possibilities.

When I finally pulled away, stepping toward my car, I felt something I hadn't in a long time: hope. Hesitant, messy, and terrifying hope-but hope nonetheless.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and there was a promise in his tone, not a demand.

I nodded. "Tomorrow."

And as I drove home, the city lights blurred past me, but one thing was clear: two years apart hadn't erased us. It had only made the pull between us stronger.

The next morning, the office felt different. Not just because Evan was there-he had always been there-but because the air between us seemed charged with something we both refused to name. I kept my focus on my screen, fingers flying over the keyboard, pretending not to notice him at his desk.

But he noticed me. He always did. Every glance, every slight tilt of his head, every small gesture-the way he rubbed his temples when he was thinking, the way he hummed softly to himself while reviewing documents-pulled me in, whether I wanted it or not.

Maya peeked over her monitor, clearly sensing the tension. "Coffee break?" she suggested, smirking. "Looks like you two are plotting something... or avoiding it."

I shot her a glare. "Neither," I muttered, though my voice didn't carry the conviction I wanted.

"Uh-huh," she said, walking away with a knowing grin. "Sure."

Minutes later, Evan leaned back in his chair, stretching. "Break?" he asked. His voice was casual, but the question was loaded.

I hesitated. "Yeah... why not?"

We walked to the small café down the street. Outside, the air was crisp, carrying the faint smell of wet pavement. We ordered coffee, then sat at a corner table where no one would bother us.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. I stirred my coffee, watching the steam curl in the morning light. Evan seemed just as tense, hands wrapped around his cup, eyes flicking to mine and then away.

Finally, he said, "Last night... I meant what I said. I want to try again."

I looked at him, heart hammering. "You realize it's not going to be easy, right?"

"I know," he admitted, voice quiet but firm. "I don't want easy. I want... real. With you."

The honesty in his tone disarmed me. I wanted to argue, to push back, to protect myself. But instead, I found myself leaning slightly closer, drawn in despite my better judgment.

"Real... huh?" I whispered. "That's a big word."

"I'm ready for it," he said. "If you are."

The café felt smaller somehow, the noise of the city outside fading to a distant hum. We were just two people, standing...or sitting on the edge of something fragile, dangerous, and thrilling all at once.

And for the first time in a long time, I let myself imagine a future where maybe, just maybe, we could get it right.