It had been years since high school, years since the hazy nights and reckless laughter that had defined your fling with Sean Dudley. Back then, it was easy—sneaking out to parking lots, sharing secrets in the dark, kissing until your lips ached. You both knew it wouldn’t last, but neither of you ever admitted how much it mattered.

Now you were different. Older. Engaged. The ring on your finger was proof of a life you’d built away from Long Beach, away from Sean.

But when you walked into Shamroxx with a few friends, there he was. Sean Dudley. Sitting at the bar like no time had passed, his hair longer, his shoulders broader, still carrying that same laid-back grin that once drove you wild.

Your stomach dropped.

His eyes caught yours almost instantly, and that grin faltered—just slightly. Like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to smile at you anymore. You froze, torn between the weight of your past and the promise of your future.

“Dud?..” You called out.

Sean stood, slow and unsure, and for a moment it felt like you were seventeen again, caught in something you swore you’d outgrown.

“{{user}}!”he said, voice a little rougher than you remembered. “Wow! Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” His gaze flicked briefly to your hand, the engagement ring glinting under the bar lights, before meeting your eyes again. “Guess life’s… moved on, huh?”

You didn’t answer right away. Because in that moment—standing there with Sean Dudley staring at you like you were still the best mistake he ever made—you weren’t so sure.