Chapter 12: Unraveling the Past

Chapter 12: Unraveling the Past

The air outside was crisp as Evelyn stepped out of the café. The conversation with Alexander had left her mind tangled in thoughts she wasn't ready to unravel. The words he had spoken lingered in her ears, stirring up emotions she had spent months trying to bury. Could people really change? Could he?

She sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her as she walked down the street. The city lights flickered in the distance, casting a warm glow on the pavement. As she passed by a bookstore, she caught her reflection in the window—eyes slightly weary, lips pressed into a thin line. She barely recognized the woman staring back at her.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She hesitated before pulling it out, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the name on the screen. It was her best friend, Lila.

"Hey," Evelyn answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

"So? How did it go?" Lila's voice was eager, as if she had been waiting by the phone for an update.

Evelyn let out a small laugh. "You don't waste any time, do you?"

"Not when it comes to you," Lila replied. "Come on, spill."

She paused, leaning against the bookstore wall. "It was… complicated."

Lila groaned. "Of course it was. It's Alexander we're talking about. Did he say all the right things? Did he look at you with those regretful, brooding eyes?"

Evelyn chuckled despite herself. "Yes, actually."

"Ugh, classic." Lila sighed. "So, what now?"

"That's the part I'm still trying to figure out." Evelyn kicked at a loose pebble on the sidewalk. "I told him we could start with coffee."

There was a beat of silence before Lila spoke again. "That's not nothing, Ev."

"I know."

Evelyn hung up shortly after, her mind still clouded with uncertainty. The walk to her apartment was short, but every step felt heavy with memories she had tried so hard to suppress. By the time she reached her door, she had made up her mind—she needed a distraction.

With determination, she grabbed her laptop from the desk and settled onto the couch. She hadn't checked her emails all day, and work would be the perfect way to push Alexander from her thoughts. But as she scrolled through her inbox, one particular email caught her attention. The subject line read: "Inquiry About Your Article."

Curious, she clicked on it. The message was from a journalist named Daniel Harper, expressing interest in an article she had written months ago about social media's impact on modern relationships. He wanted to discuss her work and potentially collaborate on a follow-up piece. The idea intrigued her, and for the first time all evening, her mind shifted away from Alexander.

She quickly typed out a response, agreeing to a meeting later that week. Maybe this was exactly what she needed—a chance to focus on something new, something that had nothing to do with the past.

The following morning, Evelyn woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. She dressed quickly, grabbed her bag, and made her way to the office. As she stepped inside the building, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Expecting another message from Lila, she pulled it out and felt her breath catch.

It was from Alexander. 

Just one message: "Thank you for giving me a chance. I won't waste it."

Evelyn stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. A part of her wanted to reply immediately, but another part of her hesitated. Instead, she tucked her phone away and walked into her office.

For now, she needed to focus on herself. On her work. On moving forward, whatever that looked like.

But she couldn't ignore the small, persistent voice in the back of her mind that whispered—maybe, just maybe, this wasn't the end of their story.