"Haha!" Rue burst into laughter, slapping Charlotte's arm—hard and very much on purpose—nearly sending her off balance. "That is so funny, Charlotte. Why don't we go for a little walk by the pier? For the reels. I know how much you love your aesthetics."
Charlotte squinted at her, immediately catching the redirection. Rue grabbed her arm and tried to steer her away from the scene, but Charlotte didn't budge. For someone so petite, she held her ground like she weighed a ton. Rue decided it must be all the evil and scheming that made her so dense.
"May I remind you, Charlotte Jenkins," Rue said with exaggerated formality, "that you are under oath. You swore to be my best friend—and in doing so, to always act in my best interest."
Charlotte batted her false lashes, twisting her face into an exaggerated mask of innocence while wringing Rue's hand. "Am I not?" she said, feigning shock and betrayal.
Then her eyes locked onto something—someone—just behind Rue.
Before Rue could think of a comeback, Charlotte broke free and ran past her.
"Rue, do you remember Elijah?" she called out, voice gleaming with fake innocence and real glee.
Rue froze. Cornered.
She had secretly hoped he'd grown a belly or a hermit beard—something that would make it easier to process. A visual reminder that time had passed. That the past was really in the past.
Like most of her classmates, who were now either married or looked tired and worn—just like her.
But focusing on his appearance didn't help. Now she was painfully aware of her own.
She hadn't even bothered with makeup. In her mind, it was just Charlotte and Jason—no one to impress. She wore a checkered long sleeve over a cami top and jean shorts.
She'd imagined this reunion in a hundred different scenarios. Not like this.
With a defeated sigh, she turned toward them, wearing the best awkward smile she could muster.
Motion denied.
He was taller than she remembered.
Same sleepy, dreamy brown eyes—the kind that could draw in any woman. Against the sun, his irises looked golden, flecked with hints of dark wood.
She swallowed hard, taking in the wonder time had sculpted.
Chiseled cheeks, wavy hair that brushed his brows, full lips curled into a courteous smile, and warm olive skin.
He wore a sleeveless navy top that showed off toned biceps and long arms, paired with crisp white shorts that practically screamed marathon every weekend.
She thought she'd hate him.
But instead, it felt like they were meeting in a different time. A different life.
Maybe even a second chance.
Charlotte cleared her throat—and that was enough to snap Rue back to her senses.
"Oh. Hey there," Rue managed, aiming for something between too friendly and too distant.
For all she knew, maybe he'd never thought of her as someone significant. Maybe she was just a passing face to him now.
"How have you been? It's Rue… do you remember me?"
She hated how forced it sounded—how far it was from the things she really wanted to say. But she had to start somewhere.
Maybe, if they could both act like the past didn't matter, it wouldn't. But what if he didn't even remember her?
EJ blinked, as if processing the sound of her voice. He'd known she'd be there— Charlotte made sure of that— and he's imagined countless ways to greet her. But seeing her now, for the first time in years, made it all evaporate.
A slow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth— not cocky, not even confident, just surprised. It was good seeing her after all those years. Really good.
"Rue?" he said, almost like a question. "Of course I remember you."
He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flicking from her face to her clothes and to her hand still half-tilted in awkward greeting, like he wasn't sure where to look— or maybe, where it is safe to.
"You look a bit different." he said, finally reaching to feel her hand. "But not in a bad way. Just more grown-up, I guess."
He gave a soft laugh— low, genuine— and looked down, then back up.
"I didn't think I'd see you again."
As the tension quietly built between Rue and Elijah, Charlotte watched from a distance—ever the detective, always in the middle of the drama she created.
Her eyes narrowed in amusement, lips curled in triumph.
Then, without a word, she elbowed Jason and subtly motioned toward the two of them.
"Take a picture," she whispered like a director cueing a pivotal scene. "This is history."
Jason shook his head with a half-smile, pulling his phone from his pocket. "Okay! Group picture!" he called out, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Charlotte shot him a look—sharp, defiant, almost scandalized. As if to say, I meant just the two of them.
He just shrugged. "What? Memories."
As Jason positioned himself beside EJ, Charlotte slid in next to Rue and looped an arm around her.
"Sorry, sorry—scooch in," she said casually, nudging Rue closer. "Tight space. You know how these rental spots are."
But the space wasn't tight. Not even close.
Rue shot her a glare, but Charlotte just grinned, tilting her head like she was doing God's work.
So now Rue was standing next to Elijah—close enough to feel the warmth of his skin, the slight shift of his breath. Close enough that the tension started all over again.
At least she didn't have to stress about the proposal anymore. One less problem to worry about. Charlotte had played matchmaker before, and Rue always dodged those setups with ease. But this? This was Elijah. Her first heartbreak. The one that never quite left her, no matter how much time had passed which was funny given the fact that they were never official. Maybe what they had was understanding and she misunderstood.
The group gave their best smiles for the camera—some more genuine than others, but a smile nonetheless.
Needing space, Rue quickly wiggled free and clapped her hands.
"Alright, let's head to the accommodation! We wouldn't want to miss the sunset.
And with that, she walked straight to the car, slipping into the far corner and pretending to rummage through her bags.
That way, it wouldn't look like she was avoiding him—because, honestly, she hadn't figured out how to deal with any of this yet.