Luke had seen Ellie for the first time in years two days after he moved back in town. He had hesitated every time he was about to ring her doorbell, wondering if her life was better without him in it, if she really wanted him back. What if she had decided she didn't want him now that she had managed to forget about him? What if she liked some other boy? What if...

What if she hated him for leaving even though it was not his fault?

So every time he walked up to her yard, his steps would falter. He had met her mom while at the super market, she had welcomed him back, promising him that Ellie had missed him too. But he was sure Ellie would never think of him as he thought of her.

He had loved her since she was 14, through their fights and ignoring and mocking. He wanted her to be happy. Happy as she could be. What he did not know was that he was hurting her even more by staying away from her. He would soon wish he had done what he had hesitated to do before it was too late.