Avery gave Ryan Hayes a polite but firm smile, holding her coffee cup tightly in her hand. “Thanks for the offer, Ryan, but I’ll have to pass.”
Ryan’s easy smirk faltered just slightly, though he quickly recovered. “No worries, Avery. It’s good seeing you again. Take care.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Avery standing near the counter, her heart pounding in confusion. She hadn’t seen him in years, yet he’d reappeared out of nowhere, looking like a completely different person. The encounter left her feeling unsettled.
When Avery got home later that evening, she kicked off her heels and collapsed onto the couch, dialing Janice’s number.
Janice answered on the second ring, her voice instantly lifting Avery’s mood. “Hey, Aves. What’s up?”
“You won’t believe who I ran into today,” Avery said, pressing the phone to her ear as she stared at the ceiling.
“Who?”
“Ryan Hayes.”
There was a beat of silence before Janice’s voice sharpened. “The Ryan who bullied you? That Ryan?”
“Yes,” Avery replied, sitting up. “But he’s… different now. He’s back in town, working as a financial controller or something.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Janice’s voice rose with indignation. “The same guy who made your life miserable in high school? What did he want?”
“To grab coffee and catch up,” Avery said with a humorless laugh.
Janice snorted. “Seriously? After everything he put you through, he thinks a latte is going to make it all better?”
“I said no,” Avery assured her. “But I don’t know, Janice. He seemed sincere. Like, he’s not the same person he was back then.”
“That doesn’t erase what he did,” Janice pointed out. “People can change, sure, but you don’t owe him anything. Don’t let him guilt you into anything, okay?”
“I won’t,” Avery promised. “I just… it was weird seeing him again. I didn’t expect it.”
“Of course it’s weird,” Janice said, her tone softening. “But you’ve moved on, Aves. Don’t let someone from your past mess with your head.”
“You’re right,” Avery said with a small smile. “Thanks for always having my back, Jan.”
“Always,” Janice replied. “Now, get some rest. You sound like you’ve had a day.”
The next day, Avery threw herself into work at Kane Enterprises, determined to shake off the unsettling feeling Ryan’s reappearance had left her with. She powered through meetings and tackled her inbox with laser focus, feeling more like herself by the hour.
When lunchtime rolled around, she decided to treat herself to something fresh and light from the café down the street. She grabbed a salad bowl to go and stepped out into the bustling midday crowd, the crisp autumn air invigorating her.
She was scrolling through her phone, checking an email, when she turned the corner and collided head-on with someone.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry—” she started, but her words trailed off as she looked up.
Ryan Hayes stood in front of her, salad greens and vinaigrette dripping down the front of his pristine white shirt. His hazel eyes widened in surprise before a rueful smile spread across his face.