Torn between yesterday and tomorrow

Episode3:When the past knock twice

Chapter 3 : WHEN THE PAST KNOCKS TWICE

I told myself that walking away from Adrian meant I was free.

That night, as I lay in bed, I repeated it over and over in my head like a mantra. I walked away. It’s over. I walked away. It’s over.

But the past doesn’t just vanish because you want it to.

It lingers. It seeps into your dreams, your quiet moments, the spaces between your thoughts. And no matter how much you try to move forward, it finds a way to remind you it still exists.

That’s exactly what Adrian did.

And I wasn’t ready for what came next.

The next morning, I woke up feeling like I had barely slept. My body was exhausted, but my mind had been running all night, replaying every word Adrian had said.

“Because I never stopped loving you.”

I pushed the thought away and dragged myself out of bed. Today was supposed to be a fresh start, another step forward. I had spent too much of my life trapped in yesterday. I couldn’t let Adrian pull me back in.

As I reached for my phone, I noticed a message waiting for me.

Daniel: Morning, neighbor. How about coffee?

A small smile tugged at my lips. Daniel had a way of making things feel simple, even when my world felt like it was falling apart.

Me: Meet you downstairs in 10.

By the time I arrived at the café, Daniel was already sitting at a corner table, two cups of coffee in front of him. He grinned when he saw me, pushing one toward me.

“Thought you might need an extra shot of caffeine today,” he said.

I took a sip, letting the warmth settle inside me. “You have no idea.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair, watching me. “Rough night?”

I hesitated, then nodded. There was no point in lying.

“He’s still in your head, isn’t he?”

I looked away. “I don’t want him to be.”

Daniel sighed, tapping his fingers against the table. “Maya, moving on isn’t just about walking away. It’s about choosing not to look back.”

I swallowed hard. “That’s the problem. I thought I was over him. But seeing him again, hearing him say those things… it messed with my head.”

Daniel studied me for a moment. “Do you still love him?”

I opened my mouth to say no, to deny it, to insist that I had moved on.

But the words didn’t come.

And the silence between us said everything.

That evening, I tried to focus on work. I had deadlines to meet, emails to answer, anything to keep my mind occupied. But every time I glanced at my phone, I half-expected another message from Adrian.

But it never came.

For a moment, I felt relieved. Maybe he had finally let go. Maybe he had realized that whatever we had was gone.

Then came the knock on my door.

I froze.

A cold dread crept over me as I slowly walked toward it. My heart pounded against my ribs as I reached for the handle, praying that I was wrong.

But the moment I opened the door, I knew.

Adrian stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes filled with something I couldn’t decipher.

“Maya,” he said softly.

I inhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the door. “What are you doing here?”

He let out a breath, his gaze never leaving mine. “I couldn’t leave things the way we did last night. Please, just let me talk.”

I should have slammed the door. I should have told him to go to hell.

But instead, I stepped aside.

Because some wounds don’t heal with silence.

And deep down, I needed to hear what he had to say.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I said as I sat across from him, my arms crossed over my chest.

Adrian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I know. But I had to see you again.”

I scoffed. “Why? So you can remind me of everything I’ve been trying to forget?”

His jaw clenched. “Maya, I never wanted to hurt you.”

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Then why did you?”

Silence.

Adrian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I was an i***t. I was selfish. And I thought… I thought you’d always be there, no matter what.”

I stared at him, my chest tightening. “And now that I’m not, you suddenly care?”

He shook his head. “I’ve always cared. I just didn’t realize what I had until I lost you.”

I swallowed hard, fighting the emotions rising inside me. “That’s the thing about people like you, Adrian. You don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone. And by the time you do, it’s too late.”

He looked at me, pain flickering in his eyes. “Is it?”

The question made my breath hitch.

Because I didn’t know the answer.

For the first time in months, I saw the Adrian I fell in love with. The boy who once made me laugh, who traced constellations on my skin with his fingertips, who whispered promises that felt unbreakable.

But promises break.

And so do people.

I stood up, walking toward the door. “You should go.”

Adrian hesitated, his eyes searching mine for something—permission, forgiveness, hope.

I didn’t give him any.

He sighed, nodding slowly as he got to his feet. But just before he stepped outside, he turned back to me.

“I know I don’t deserve another chance,” he said. “But Maya… if there’s even a part of you that still loves me, even just a little, don’t shut me out completely.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

And then, he was gone.

I closed the door and leaned against it, my legs suddenly weak.

My heart was at war with my mind.

One part of me wanted to let him in, to prove the chance he was different.