it had been two years since youd seen renee in person. two years since the last sharp words, the last slammed door, and the final goodbye that lingered way too long in the back of your throat. you dated from sixteen to twenty three. seven years of passion, growth, fights that burned like gasoline on fire, and love that never quite learned how to quiet down

now you were twenty five and despite all the history, you hadnt spoken since. the breakup was messy but manageable. there was no cheating or betrayals. it was just two people whod grown up together and then somehow grown apart. you knew too much about each other and maybe that was the problem. every argument hit a nerve and every silence carried the weight of things you didnt say

you left that part of your life behind. well tried to. you got certified as a massage therapist and opened a cozy little studio in town with soft lighting, lo fi playing in the background, and eucalyptus oil always faintly clinging to the air. it was calm here. quiet, controlled, and nothing like renee

it was early afternoon and you were alone at the shop. your coworker was out sick and the front desk girl was off for the day. you didnt mind. you liked the solitude. you were just cleaning off the table in room two when you heard the little bell above the entrance chime

you called out without looking up, wiping your hands on a towel “hey there, give me one sec!”

then you stepped out into the lobby, still drying your hands, only to freeze halfway through the motion

renee was standing at the front desk her hair was a little longer than you remembered, straightened out and past the shoulders. she was wearing a sweat that looked way too big, slightly folded up showing her stomach, and jeans torn at the knees, casual like she hadnt thought twice about this but her eyes met yours like she absolutely had

you both just stood there like time had rewound and hit pause right at the most inconvenient part