I stepped into Annie’s kitchen, my head still throbbing from the haze of last night.
She was already at the counter, flipping pancakes with a wide grin that only deepened when she caught sight of me. Her eyes narrowed with mischief, already sensing I had a story to tell.
“So…” she began, tilting her head in a way that made it clear she wasn’t letting me out of this. “Ready to spill, or are you going to keep me guessing?”
I let out a heavy sigh, sinking onto one of the stools and clutching the mug of coffee she handed me. The memory of waking up next to Tyler made my cheeks flush, the mixture of emotions bubbling just beneath the surface... anger, nostalgia, a strange comfort I’d forgotten he could bring.
“It was him,” I said finally, the words rolling off my tongue, feeling both bitter and oddly freeing. “The guy from last night was Tyler.”
Annie’s spatula dropped with a clatter. She stared at me, blinking like she wasn’t sure if she’d heard me right.
“Tyler?” she whispered, eyes widening with a mix of shock and excitement. “As in your Tyler?”
“Ex-Tyler,” I corrected, gripping my coffee cup. But she was already smiling, way too delighted about this.
“Oh, this is juicy,” she said, sliding onto the stool beside me. “What are the odds? You leave London to get away from romantic disasters, and boom… you run straight into your past. This has to mean something, Sam.”
I rolled my eyes, but I knew that look. Once Annie’s mind got set, there was no stopping her.
“It means absolutely nothing. It was a mistake, okay? One that I’m regretting more and more by the second.”
She leaned back, crossing her arms. “A mistake? Or maybe fate nudging you a little. Did you know he’s been asking about you since you left?”
My brows knitted together as I looked up. “What are you talking about?”
She tapped the counter, her face softening.
“He’s been calling me every so often since you left, checking in, asking if you were okay, if you’d settled in London. He asked me to tell you he was sorry… that he realized what he’d lost.”
I stared down at my coffee, feeling that familiar twinge of hurt and frustration prickling at the edges of my heart. Tyler and I had spent years building a life together, and in the end, he’d let it all fall apart. That pain still lingered, the weight of betrayal cutting deeper than I wanted to admit, even to myself.
“People say things when they feel guilty,” I mumbled, trying to push away the sliver of hope her words had unearthed. “Doesn’t mean he’s changed.”
Annie sighed, reaching across to squeeze my hand. “Maybe. But Sam, maybe it also means he’s grown up. People do change, especially when they lose someone who mattered.”
I shook my head, trying to resist the old, dangerous feelings stirring inside me. “He broke my heart, Annie. More than once. I don’t know if I can go through that again. And after everything… after Caleb…” I trailed off, my voice faltering. The thought of opening myself up to that kind of hurt all over again sent a chill through me.
“Sam,” she said gently, “I get it. I saw how much he hurt you, and I know you’re scared of that happening again. But maybe this time, it’s different. Look, I don’t want to push you, but… I don’t think you’re done with him yet. And it sounds like he isn’t done with you either.”
The thought of giving Tyler another chance twists my stomach into knots. Yes, I miss him. Yes, he still occupies a part of my heart that I’d foolishly thought was reserved for him forever.
But I’m not the same girl he knew. I’ve changed, too.
My guard is up. I’ve been through too much, faced too many disappointments, and I’m not sure I’m ready to let him back in, to open myself up to the possibility of more heartache.
Annie’s gaze softens, understanding evident in her eyes.
“I’m not saying you should jump back into anything. But what if you just give him a chance to explain? It doesn’t have to be anything more than just a conversation. Just… hear him out, okay?” she says, her voice gentle and persuasive.
I chewed on her words, torn between wanting to shut this conversation down and feeling a strange curiosity. Tyler had been my world once, and even though I’d tried to let him go, some part of me still held onto the “what ifs” like a frayed ribbon.
“Did he really… I mean, when he talked to you, did he sound serious?” I couldn’t believe I was even asking, but the words spilled out before I could stop them.
Annie’s eyes softened, her expression both sympathetic and full of hope. “He did. He sounded… different, Sam. Honestly, I’d never heard him sound so broken. It was like he finally realized what he’d given up.”
I took a shaky breath, feeling my resolve weaken a fraction. Tyler had always been charming, smooth with his words, but had he ever shown remorse like this before? Not that I’d ever seen.
But that didn’t erase everything, I reminded myself, trying to cling to my sanity. “I don’t know if I’m ready to trust him again. It’s not like he can just waltz back into my life and undo all that damage.”
Annie gave me a sad smile, but there was a spark of determination in her eyes. “I know. And you don’t have to trust him right away. But maybe… maybe you give him a chance to show he’s changed. To prove he’s sorry, not just with words, but with actions.”
She let the words hang in the air, a soft invitation rather than a demand. And somehow, that gentleness made it harder to brush off.
The memories of last night, of seeing him again after all this time, replayed in my mind with startling clarity. The way he looked at me.. full of regret, vulnerability, and something else I couldn’t quite name.
I took a slow, steadying breath, trying to think rationally, but it was no use. My heart was torn, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, the old feelings had seeped back in, relentless and undeniable.
“Fine,” I murmured finally, earning a triumphant grin from Annie. “I’ll… talk to him. But I’m not making any promises, and I’m certainly not going back to the way things were. Not unless I’m sure it’s different this time.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” Annie’s eyes shone with excitement as she hugged me. “Just give yourself a chance, Sam. Let him show you he’s serious.”
There was a weight in my stomach, a mix of excitement and trepidation at the thought of facing Tyler again. But as Annie’s embrace lingered, I couldn’t deny the thrill that bubbled through me.
It had been so long since I’d felt that spark with someone, the flutter of possibility that only Tyler had ever ignited in me.
And yet, even as I let the hope grow, I knew I needed to be cautious, to
protect my heart from the devastation that had nearly destroyed me before.