Chapter 2

After my shower, I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up my phone to reply to an email. It was from last week, a formal recommendation from my mentor for a painting instructor position at Brynhill University of the Arts.

It was a rare opportunity, one I might never get again. But back then, when love and my future were both on the line, I chose him without a second thought. And James left me utterly defeated.

I filled out the application form again, sent it back to my mentor, then lay down and tried to sleep.

When I woke up again, it was already dark outside, and my phone said it was six in the evening. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw James in front of the mirror, tying his tie.

He was wearing the black trench coat he hardly ever wore, a hint of a smile on his lips. I asked without thinking, "Are you heading out?"

James froze. His smile disappeared in an instant. He looked at me and said, his tone serious, "Got a last-minute class reunion. I can't cook for you tonight, so I ordered takeout. Make sure you eat."

Before I could say anything, he grabbed his car keys and rushed out the door. I watched him leave, standing there stunned for a long moment.

By eleven at night, James still hadn't come back. Then my phone buzzed, an update from Irene Summers.

She wrote: [My first love drove me home, but the car broke down halfway. Is God trying to help us get back together?] The photo showed James in that black trench coat, standing by the car, phone pressed to his ear.

Underneath were a bunch of comments from their old college friends.

[Back in the day, Irene and James were considered the perfect couple in school. I never thought that after so many years since graduation, we would still be getting a glimpse of their sweet moments.]

[I still remember that time James stood in the pouring rain for hours to win Irene back. Honestly, I was about to cry watching him.]

[Girl, this is your favorite, two strong leads, second-chance romance, all the drama.]

[Couples like them are meant to be together.]

Scrolling down, someone had posted a link to an old forum thread. I clicked in and found a whole record of Irene and James's three-year relationship.

They studied the same major, always at each other's throats, fighting for the top spot. Then, somehow, they ended up dating. For four years, everyone said they were the perfect match.

But good things never last. The year Irene graduated, she decided to go abroad. On the day she left, James stood outside the girls' dorm in the rain, eyes red, waiting all afternoon, hoping she'd change her mind. But Irene still walked away.

Staring at those words, I couldn't picture any of it. The James they talked about felt like a total stranger compared to the one I knew.

I locked my phone and set it aside, my chest tight and aching, but I couldn't find the right words for how I felt.

No wonder James never talked about his past with me. With a love that left a mark on his soul, there was no way he could ever love anyone else the same way.

The image of him smiling softly at the mirror flashed through my mind again. It reminded me of something I'd read in a book: [If I'm meeting you at four, I'll start feeling happy from three.]

Then, my phone lit up with an incoming call. It was Mark Ward, James's best friend.

I picked up, but before I could say anything, Mark's boozy voice burst out. "Congrats, James. After all these years, you finally got Irene back."

Then James walked in. He changed his shoes and came over, noticing me on the phone. "Who are you talking to?" he asked.

I kept a straight face and hit speaker. Mark, slurring his words, rambled on, "You've been refusing to tie the knot with Lucia all these years, and everyone knows it's because you're still hung up on Irene.

"Now that she's back in Aurestus, stop pretending, man. Go get her back. Don't mess it up again. And hey, remember what you said? If you ever married Irene, I'd be your best man."

Once he finished, I looked up at James. "Your friend's looking for you. He called me by mistake."