DENIED BEFORE ASKED

THE ONE FACE SHE NEVER EXPECTED

CHAPTER 2

Five years had passed since that dark, painful night in the apartment. Life had finally found a gentle, quiet rhythm for Peaches. She had built a safe, peaceful world for herself.

Today, she had traveled back to her hometown of Ashford Town for a short visit. The town was alive with the warm, happy sounds of a Saturday morning. Bright flower stalls lined the busy streets. Children chased each other with colorful balloons. A violinist played a sweet, soft song outside a small corner café.

Peaches stepped out of a fancy bridal boutique, holding heavy paper bags in her hands. She was getting married soon, and Nora had insisted Peaches pick up a few special things for the big day.

She pulled out her phone and smiled as Nora’s name flashed on the screen.

"Don't forget the shoes!" Nora’s bright voice chirped through the speaker.

"I won't," Peaches laughed, feeling a warm glow in her chest.

"And don't disappear into a bookstore again," Nora warned playfully.

"I make no promises," Peaches replied.

The call ended with bright, easy laughter. Peaches took a deep breath of the sweet morning air. It felt normal. It felt peaceful. For the first time in a long time, the heavy stone in her chest was gone. She truly believed she had moved on. She had finally healed.

She crossed the street toward the café, breathing in the rich smell of roasted coffee. Then, she suddenly stopped. Her feet felt glued to the pavement. It wasn't a sound that made her freeze. It wasn't a shout or a loud car horn. It was a feeling. A sudden, cold drop in her stomach. The air left her lungs. Slowly, fighting every instinct in her body, she turned her head.

Across the busy street, standing beside the large, green maple trees, was a man. He was the man she had spent three long years trying desperately to forget.

Roiday.

The heavy paper bag slipped from her weak fingers, hitting the ground with a soft thud. Five years of careful healing. Five years of waking up and telling herself she was finally okay. Five years of building a thick wall around her heart. And now... there he was. He was real. He was breathing. He was only a few steps away.

Roiday stared back at her. His dark eyes were wide with the exact same disbelief. His face, so handsome and familiar, looked pale. He hadn't come looking for this. He had only come to his hometown wanting peace.

People walked happily between them. Cars passed by with a loud roar. But neither Peaches nor Roiday heard any of it. The busy world faded away. There was only the thick, heavy silence between two hearts that had waited and ached for far too long.

Roiday took one careful step forward. Then another. He looked like a man walking toward a beautiful, dangerous fire.

"...Hi, Peaches," he said. His voice was rough, deep, and exactly as she remembered.

She swallowed hard. Her throat felt completely dry.

"Hi," she whispered.

Just one simple word. But inside that single word were years of hidden pain, secret tears, and unspoken love.

"I know I don't have the right to ask much," Roiday said, his voice trembling slightly. He looked down at his hands, then back into her eyes. His gaze was full of regret and deep longing. "But... could we talk? Just for a little while?"

Peaches closed her eyes. Her heart was beating so fast it hurt. Every alarm in her mind told her to run away. To protect herself. But looking at his painful expression, she knew she couldn't.

"...Just for a little while," she agreed softly.

They started walking. But not together. They kept a few careful, quiet steps apart. The distance between them felt like an ocean. They walked side by side toward the quiet, peaceful park by the lake. The autumn leaves crunched softly under their shoes. The sky above was a pale, clear blue, but Peaches felt like a dark storm was brewing inside her mind. She watched his profile as he walked. He looked older. There were new lines around his eyes, signs of the stress and time that had passed. He looked just as tired as she felt.

Roiday walked with his hands deep in his pockets, his jaw tight. He had something to tell her. She could feel it in the heavy air. The suspense was building in her chest like a tight spring. What did he want to say? Why was he really here?

As they reached the edge of the lake, Roiday suddenly stopped. He turned to face her, his eyes dark and urgent. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.

"Peaches," he said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

"I didn't just come here for peace. I came because... you need to see this."

He handed her the paper. Her hands trembled as she reached out to take it. The paper felt heavy, like it held the weight of the world. She unfolded it slowly. Her breath caught in her throat as she read the first line. It was a date. A date from exactly five years ago. The exact day he left her without a single goodbye. And written next to it, in his messy, familiar handwriting, were three words that changed everything.

Love Quote: "Some people you spend years forgetting, and the universe puts them back in one second."