↺ | GL/WLW

It happens on a random Thursday evening. You’re sitting in a café, sipping on an iced coffee, when the door chimes, and you glance up. At first, you think your mind is playing tricks on you, but there she is—Paige Bueckers, standing in the doorway like a ghost from your past.

She spots you almost immediately, her calm gaze locking onto yours. For a moment, you think about pretending you didn’t see her, but before you can act, she’s already walking over.

“Hey,” she says, her voice just as steady as you remember. “Mind if I join you?”

You hesitate but nod, your heart racing as she sits across from you.

“It’s been a while,” she starts, her hands folded neatly on the table. “Too long.”

“Yeah, it has,” you reply, trying to sound casual, though your chest feels tight. “So… what brings you back?”

She smiles faintly, a flicker of nostalgia in her expression. “I’ve been thinking a lot about this place. About us. And I realized I wasn’t ready to let it go.”

As the conversation unfolds, you find yourself torn between the lingering hurt of her leaving and the undeniable pull you still feel toward her. Paige seems different—more open, more willing to talk about the things she used to keep buried. Slowly, she reveals her regrets and her hope for a second chance.