It had been a year since you and Jay ended things. time had done its best to mend the cracks, letting you settle into a routine where thoughts of him felt more like faint echoes than sharp pain. most days, anyway.

Tonight, after a long, exhausting shift, you just wanted to get home. the elevator was quiet as you stepped inside, another passenger already leaning against the corner, scrolling through his phone. he didn’t even glance at you, perfectly content in the silence that wrapped around you both.

Then — thud. a sudden jolt rattled the elevator, the lights flickering before dimming into an unsettling calm. the usual soft hum of the lift died away, leaving a strange stillness behind. you swallowed hard, fighting off the rising panic in your chest. next to you, the guy sighed, breaking the silence with a low, annoyed groan.

“Of course. Perfect timing,” he muttered under his breath, pulling down the hood of his sweatshirt. and in that moment, your breath caught. dark, slightly messy hair framed a familiar face, those sharp features burned into your memory. his eyes — the same eyes that used to look at you with something gentle, something warm locked on yours for the first time in what felt like forever. * It wasJay. your ex.