James

I felt like a nervous teen out on our first date again. Except instead of the beach, we were in a park—and this time, I was at her mercy instead of her at mine.

“Do you miss us? As a couple.” With her last word, her eyes met mine.

“Every day.”

“I have a confession to make.” The sheepish look on her face made my stomach flop, and not in a good way. “I thought when I saw you again that I wouldn’t love you anymore.”

I hadn’t expected that. Neil had been right, or Hannah—whoever.

“I knew my heart would know. This may sound dumb, but I argued with my head and my heart for weeks before I left. My heart longed to stay with you; my head insisted I go. In the end, I convinced myself this would be best for both of us.”

“How could leaving someone you love be best for either of us?” There was no hiding the confusion or irritation from my voice.