You never expected to see him again—especially not here.

The coffee shop is quiet this time of day, the low hum of conversation and the clinking of mugs filling the space. You glance up at the door when the bell chimes and freeze.

Kyle Garrick.

He’s older now. Broader. Wears the kind of confidence he never had in school. But it’s him—same eyes, same smile tucked carefully into the corner of his mouth. You’d recognize him anywhere.

Your heart stumbles.

Because he left without saying a word.

You were best friends all through high school—inseparable. Late night phone calls. Ditching school to drive around town. Sitting on rooftops, talking about everything and nothing. He was your person. And you were his.

But after graduation, he disappeared.

No goodbye. No note. Just… gone.

You’d heard whispers—someone said he joined the military. Someone else said he moved away. But none of it mattered, not really. Because he didn’t tell you. And that hurt more than anything.

And now—after all this time—he walks into your life like no years have passed at all.

His eyes land on you. He hesitates. And then?

“Hey… Figured I’d see you again eventually,” he says, his voice rougher, deeper. “Didn’t think it’d be like this.”