Before We Say Goodbye

CHAPTER 4: Eight Years

"You're distracted."

Emma looked up from her computer.

Lily stood beside her desk holding two coffees.

"I'm fine."

Lily placed one coffee in front of her.

"You've said that three times today."

"Because I'm fine."

"You're staring at the same document you've been staring at for twenty minutes."

Emma looked at her screen.

The same paragraph was still open.

She sighed.

"Daniel messaged me."

Lily froze.

"Daniel?"

Emma nodded.

"The Daniel?"

"Yes."

"The one you've refused to talk about for eight years?"

"Yes."

Lily pulled out the chair beside her.

"What did he say?"

"He's coming home."

"And?"

"He wants to see me."

Lily stared at her.

"Are you going?"

Emma nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Do you still love him?"

Emma looked away.

Lily softened.

"Emma."

"I don't know."

"That's not an answer."

Emma sighed.

"Maybe."

Lily smiled.

"I knew it."

"Don't."

"You've spent eight years pretending you don't care."

"I don't."

"You kept his old photograph."

Emma looked at her.

"How do you know that?"

"Because you showed it to me when you were drunk at my birthday party."

Emma covered her face.

"Oh God."

"You cried."

"I was drunk."

"You said, 'He was supposed to come back.'"

Emma lowered her hands.

"I said that?"

"You did."

Emma stared at her coffee.

"Maybe some part of me never stopped waiting."

Lily reached across the desk.

"Then maybe it's time to find out why."