"Hi." Greg smiles and my heart stops for a second.

"What- What are you doing here?" I try.

"I wanted to see you. Can I come in?" he asks, and my body freezes when I feel Lucas behind me.

"Alexia, are you okay?" He places one of his hands on my waist and I don't miss the way Greg's eyes widen.

"Uh." I turn to Lucas, and I hate the defeated look in his eyes.

"Do you want me to go?" he asks, hs eyes so intense, it takes me some time to answer.

"Can you- Would-" I don't know what to do. I want him to stay and go back to our dinner... but what am I supposed to do here?

"Okay." He searches my eyes. "Just call me if you need anything." He kisses my cheek before walking to his apartment.

I watch him leave and it feels like I'm breaking inside. Greg chooses this moment to clear his throat and remind me he is still here, though.

"Can we talk?" he asks, and I don't say anything, just get inside and wait for him to follow me.

"What do you want, Greg?" I turn to him, still not processing how he traveled all the way here to talk to me.

"I needed to see how you're doing... but I guess this was not a good time, huh?" He eyes the food on the table, making me snort.

"What? Was I supposed to be crying here, waiting for you? Believe me, I was. I was heartbroken, devastated! But this shit is over now!"

"I never wanted for you to suffer, I was just-" He tries to explain, and it's like he is breaking up with me all over again.

All the anger, all the doubts, all the insecurity I felt that day come rushing through me and I can't contain my tears.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers.

"You are sorry?" I let out a sarcastic laugh.

"We should've talked more..."

"Don't!" I shake my head.

"I was scared," he continues, though.

"And now you're suddenly not?"

"It's not like that and you know it! Can you look back and say we were truly happy? That we were not just going with the flow?"

"Why are you here?" I rub my temples, trying to calm down so I can make sense of what he wants.

"I miss you. You're my best friend. I was worried you were here alone and by yourself..."

"Well, I'm fine." I look away, before really looking at him.

He is still the same guy I met when I was sixteen. He has the deepest brown eyes I've ever seen and a way to look at me that always made me feel treasured. Once, I found him the most handsome man in the world. When I looked at him, I used to see my future. But now, as I really look at him, maybe I finally understand what he has tried to tell me all this time.

It's not like we weren't happy or that we didn't love each other. We just fell out of love. We. Not just him.

"That's all I ever wanted." He smiles and I remember the boy I fell in love with all those years ago.

"What happened to us, Greg?" I whisper, willing myself not to cry.

"I don't know, baby... But- I- I can't just live my life as if you don't exist. I still care about you... It's never changed-"

"Just our feelings, right?" I say as I search his eyes.

It's hard to explain what being with a person your whole life means. We fell in love at a very young age and grew up together. We shared so many things, so many plans, that losing him was like losing a part of myself too.

I felt like what we had was enough, and that things were supposed to be the way we had planned, not the way we really felt.

"I..." He stops in front of me and we just look at each other for some time. "Can we be friends at least? he asks after some time.

"Yes," I whisper, feeling a weight I didn't know I was carrying leaving my shoulders.

"Good! That's good!" His voice is shaken, and I can't help myself anymore.

I throw my arms at him, and he hugs me tightly. It took me some time, but I finally realize what has always been in front of our faces. We haven't been lovers for a long time. We have been friends. Just friends.

*****

After our talk, he asked if he could stay over. He moved back to his parents' home until he can find a place to live, and I felt bad for making him drive six hours back to their place.

It's late, and he says he feels bad about the way he treated me. After our last phone call, he just couldn't stand the way I sounded and had to talk to me in person, but he'll leave first thing in the morning,

I won't lie and say I'm not glad he came to see me because I got the closure I didn't know I needed. I know I'll have to talk to Lucas about it, but for now, I just hope Greg and I can reach this place where we can be friends, and move on, with nothing holding us back.

"This place is amazing," Greg says, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"And so much bigger than we had imagined, right?" I smile as he inspects the photos I hung on the walls.

"Yeah." He yawns, and I take it as a cue to call it a night.

"Let me get you some pillows and stuff. The couch is not that comfortable, but it'll do for one night." I head to the bedroom and smile, thinking about how surreal my life feels right now.

"Here you are," I say a moment later, placing everything he'll need in front of him.

"Thanks." He grins. "Do you think you'll have time for breakfast tomorrow before I leave?"

"Sure! But we'll have to eat here. I don't want to be late for school."

"What time do you have to be at work?" he asks.

"At eight. Does that work for you?"

"That's perfect!"

"Okay, see you tomorrow, then."

As I lay in bed, I debate if I should send Lucas a message. My mind says it's late and that he is probably sleeping, but my heart says I should do it.

It's like seeing both him and Greg tonight made it even more certain in my heart that I like him and want to be with him, as new as our relationship might be.

ME: I'm so sorry for ruining our dinner... I'll call you tomorrow and explain everything.

I wait for his reply, but after ten minutes of silence, I put my phone aside and drift into a dreamless sleep.

*****

I wake up to some weird noise and it takes me some time to realize I'm not alone in my apartment. I get up to check what is going on and see Greg is in the kitchen, trying to make breakfast. And by the way things are going, I think I should intervene.

"Good Morning." I lean on the counter, chuckling at the scene in front of me.

"Hi." He smiles, embarrassed. "I was trying to cook you breakfast."

"I think I should finish it for you." I laugh and start trying to save our meal.

"Thanks. I just wanted to do something nice before leaving."

"I know, and I appreciate it." I look down at the food, then at him. "I'm happy we could talk. I needed that, you know? Closure. Until moving here, I was not... ready to face life without you."

"Yeah... I'm... You were all I ever knew- but this last year things were just too-"

"Friendly?" I smile, my eyes watering.

"Yeah... I can't really explain."

"Can I ask you something?" I ask.

"Of course."

"Was there another woman?"

"No. Never. But I- I started noticing other women differently. I mean, I never looked at them before... It was just you... But... But then one day I realized I was not looking at you the way I should. The way I was looking at them. And now I see I was a fool because what you and I had was really special."

"Oh."

"And before you think there is something wrong with you." He comes closer and holds my face, making me look into his eyes.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen! And if how that guy from yesterday was looking at you means something, I'd say he agrees with me." He raises his eyebrows and smiles, but I know him too well to know something is wrong.

"I don't know..." I murmur.

"Believe me. I'm familiar with that look." He kisses the top of my head, and I put some distance between us.

"Uh." I clear my throat. "Let's eat. I have to leave for school soon."

*****

After breakfast, I take a shower and get ready for school. Taking my phone from my bedside table, I realize Lucas never answered my text from last night. I debate knocking on his door, but maybe I should wait until later. Greg is getting ready to leave, and I don't want them to meet again.

I know it was hard for him to see my ex on my doorstep yesterday, but he must know I had no other option last night.

You know what? Maybe I should just send him another text.

ME: Good Morning! Can we talk later?

I throw my phone in my bag and meet Greg in the living room. "I'm ready."

"Okay, me too." He is messing with his phone but stops as soon as he hears me.

When we get downstairs, I can't see his car in the street. "Did you get a taxi to come here or something?" I ask.

"I couldn't find a place here last night, so I parked down the block." He gets closer, and I finally realize this is it.

"This is so surreal!" I laugh.

"Yeah..." He looks down and I know he has more to say.

"What is it?" I press my hand to his shoulder.

"He is into you. The guy from last night... And from what I could see, you really like him too?" He looks into my eyes and I can see in his eyes that seeing Lucas last night has affected him.

"I do." I give him a small smile.

"I don't know if I'm ready to discuss other people yet, but I'm always here for you." He takes my hand from his shoulder and kisses the back of it.

"Thanks. Me too. "

"Just be careful, okay?" He searches my eyes, and I look away.

"I'll be... Thanks again for coming here. Turns out I needed that talk," I say.

"Thanks for having me," he says, and we just stare at each other for a moment.

"Well-" I start.

"I'll-" he interrupts me.

"I guess this is it, huh?" I laugh, but my eyes are watering.

"Yeah..." He pulls me into a hug.

"Yeah..." I murmur.

"Take care, baby." He kisses the top of my head.

"You too." I take a step back and give him a small wave.

I watch him leave and I'm about to get in my car when I see Lucas and Nate standing in front of the building. Lucas's eyes meet mine, and I hate the emotion I see behind them.

"Lucas?" I whisper.

"Alexia!" Nate comes running in my direction. "Look, I grew my own tree." He is holding a small jar with little bean leaves inside it, so I force myself to smile at him.

"Wow, is it a project for school?" My eyes dart from him to Lucas, but he is looking down.

"Yes, but I get to keep it after school today," Nate explains.

"Wow! That's great!" I keep the smile on my lips.

"Nate, we have to get going." Lucas holds one of his hands.

"Can we talk later?" I touch Lucas's shoulder.

"I'll have a meeting out of the city this weekend. I have some last-minute things to do and..." He finally looks at me and I'm sure he can see how disappointed I am.

"Oh!" I whisper.

"I didn't know until this morning," he murmurs.

"I see." I want to say more but refrain myself because of Nate.

"I'll call you," he says.

"Okay."

"Let's go, Nate." I hear him say.

"Bye, Nate. I'll see you around school." I force myself to say.

"Bye, Alexia," he says before leaving with his dad.

"Lucas?" I say to his back.

"Yeah?" He turns to me.

"Have a safe trip."

"Thanks." He nods and heads to his car.

_____

A/N: I mean, what would you do in her situation?

Thanks for reading and for your support! You guys are amazing! ❤️

XOXO

- Celeste