Chapter 16: Conversations in the Dark

Evelyn led Alexander through the quiet streets, her footsteps steady, her mind anything but. The weight of the moment pressed down on her shoulders as they walked side by side, their words unspoken but heavy in the air. She hadn't planned for this, hadn't expected to be in this position, yet here she was—leading a man who had once shattered her heart to a place where they could talk without pretense.

She chose a small, dimly lit café tucked into the corner of a narrow street, one of the few places in the city where she found solace. It was nearly empty at this hour, the usual hum of conversation replaced by the soft melodies playing from the speakers. A lone barista glanced up at them, offering a polite nod before returning to cleaning the espresso machine.

Evelyn took a seat by the window, watching the reflections of streetlights dance on the rain-kissed pavement. Alexander hesitated for only a moment before sitting across from her. The silence between them stretched, growing thicker with each passing second.

Finally, he broke it. "Thank you for agreeing to talk."

She studied him, taking in the slight tension in his jaw, the way his hands rested carefully on the table as if he were afraid of saying the wrong thing. "I figured you wouldn't stop until I did."

He gave a small chuckle, though there was no real humor in it. "You know me too well."

"Not anymore," she corrected, her voice quieter than she intended.

A shadow crossed his face, but he nodded. "Maybe. But I'd like to change that."

She exhaled slowly, looking down at the table. "Alexander, why are you back? Really."

He ran a hand through his hair, an old nervous habit she remembered all too well. "I left because I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought I was protecting you, giving you space to live your life without... complications."

Her fingers curled slightly. "You were the complication. You left without an explanation, without giving me the chance to understand."

"I know," he said, voice tinged with regret. "And I've regretted it every day since."

She scoffed, shaking her head. "That's a convenient thing to say now, after all this time."

"It's the truth," he insisted. "And I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness, but I want you to hear me out. Just this once."

She met his gaze, searching for deception but finding only sincerity. It would be easier if he were lying, if she could dismiss him as just another ghost from her past. But this was Alexander, and things were never that simple with him.

"Fine," she said at last. "Talk."

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "After I left, I tried to move on. I really did. But nothing felt right. No matter where I went, I kept thinking about you, about us. And then one day, I realized that running away hadn't solved anything. It had only made me more certain that leaving was the worst mistake I ever made."

Evelyn clenched her jaw, willing herself to remain composed. "And what do you expect me to do with that information?"

"I don't expect anything," he said earnestly. "I just needed you to know. I needed to stop pretending that I could erase what we had."

She closed her eyes briefly, letting his words sink in. Part of her wanted to lash out, to tell him that he had no right to come back after all these years and act like they could pick up where they left off. But another part—the part she hated admitting existed—felt a flicker of something dangerously close to hope.

"Evelyn," he continued, his voice softer now. "I'm not asking for things to go back to how they were. I just... I don't want us to be strangers."

She opened her eyes and met his gaze. "You made us strangers."

He flinched slightly but nodded. "And I'll spend as long as it takes proving to you that I regret it."

She swallowed hard, glancing toward the window. The rain had started again, droplets sliding down the glass in uneven trails. The city outside remained the same, indifferent to the storm that raged inside her.

"I don't know if I can do this," she admitted finally.

"Then don't decide right now," he said gently. "Let's just talk. One conversation at a time."

Evelyn sighed, rubbing her temple. Against her better judgment, against the voice in her head telling her to walk away, she nodded. "Alright. One conversation."

Alexander gave a small smile, as if knowing that even this small step meant everything.