I didn’t expect lunch to feel like this. I thought it would be stiff, awkward, full of long pauses and polite small talk. And it was awkward at first—both of us fumbling with menus we didn’t need, pretending to read them while sneaking glances at each other.
But somewhere between ordering and the food arriving, something shifted.
It felt… easy. Like high school again. Like before everything got complicated. Like before he left for college and I left for the city and we both pretended we didn’t care. I didn’t realize how much I missed this. Missed him. And I definitely didn’t realize that stupid crush I had on him back then wasn’t as dead as I thought. I try to ignore that part.
“So,” Evan says, leaning back in his chair, “how’s training going?”
I take a breath. “Better. I’m getting st
