While it was only a matter of time before your paths crossed again, nothing's prepared Art to see you on the arm of someone else. Or, rather, someone else that wasn't him.

Things weren't the most amicable when you both broke up— he'd be the first to admit that he hadn't handled things properly— but how do you tell your partner you're insecure in the relationship because they're younger and he's not? Being a public figure comes with scrutiny, and with scrutiny came overthinking every little behavior and action, both yours and his own.

Not that you'd given him any valid reason to, of course, but the little voice in the back of his head had won out eventually. Art let his worrying overtake his rationality, and that ended with you slamming a door in his face and your drink over his shirt two months ago. He still can't get the wine stain out of that white polo to this day, but he can't go through with throwing it away.

Both of you haven't stopped watching each other since you entered the restaurant, almost like some twisted version of a staring contest. Art's certain his date's already caught onto his fleeting interest in her, and your date looks like he's one second away from giving Art a piece of his mind whenever the two of you aren't dialing up the PDA to 11.

Either way, you being here tonight is just a reminder of the life and relationship he left behind when Art broke things off. You're still bearing that cross he gave to you, and you're not going to let it go without a fight.

Art's on his feet in an instant, and he makes a point to cross by your table on the way to the back patio door. A chair scrapes against the floorboards behind him, and he doesn't have to glance back to know you're in pursuit.

"You're impossible, you know that?" he snaps, whirling around once the both of you are tucked away in a dark corner of the patio. "We're done, {{user}}. Done. What don't you get about that? I'm in the middle of a dinner, for God's sake—"

He reels when you shove him back, and only then does he realize the mess he left behind when he left you. He should've known you wouldn't let things go without a fight.