Episode2:Shadowof the past
1105 Words
Chapter 2 : SHADOW OF THE PAST
I told myself I wouldn’t think about Adrian.
I told myself that answering his call was a mistake, that his voice wouldn’t linger in my mind like an old melody I couldn’t forget.
But some ghosts refuse to stay buried.
The next morning, I woke up feeling restless. My apartment, which had once felt like a sanctuary, now felt suffocating. Adrian’s words played on a loop in my mind—I miss you.
I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t even let it affect me. But that was the thing about first love—it didn’t just disappear. It became a part of you, etched into your skin like an invisible scar.
I distracted myself the best way I knew how. Cleaning. Organizing. Making coffee I didn’t even feel like drinking. But no matter what I did, I kept glancing at my phone, half-expecting another call, another message, another reminder that Adrian still had a hold on me.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
I exhaled sharply before opening it.
Daniel.
His warm brown eyes studied me carefully, like he could sense the storm raging inside me. “Morning, neighbor,” he said, offering a lopsided smile.
I forced a smile back. “Morning.”
His gaze flickered to my coffee table, where an untouched cup of coffee sat beside my phone. “You okay?”
I hesitated. Lying to Daniel felt wrong, even though it would’ve been easier. But before I could answer, my phone vibrated.
I didn’t have to check to know who it was.
The tension in my body must have given me away because Daniel’s expression shifted. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Want to talk about it?”
I bit my lip. “It’s just… someone from my past.”
He nodded like he already knew. Maybe he did.
“Do you want to see him?” Daniel asked after a moment.
The question caught me off guard.
“No,” I said too quickly. Then, softer, “I don’t know.”
Daniel studied me for a moment, then nodded again. “Well, if you need a distraction, I was going to get some breakfast. You in?”
A distraction. That was exactly what I needed.
“Yeah,” I said, grabbing my jacket. “I’m in.”
Breakfast and Unspoken Words
The café Daniel took me to was small and cozy, the kind of place that smelled like cinnamon and freshly brewed coffee. It was a sharp contrast to the chaos in my head.
As we sat across from each other, Daniel casually sipped his coffee. He didn’t push, didn’t pry. He just let me exist in the silence.
But my thoughts were too loud.
I finally broke the quiet. “He called me last night.”
Daniel set his cup down. “And?”
I hesitated. “And I answered.”
There was no judgment in his eyes, just quiet understanding. “What did he say?”
I sighed. “That he misses me. That he’s in town.”
Daniel’s fingers tapped against his mug. “And how do you feel about that?”
That was the question I had been avoiding all morning.
I stared at my plate, appetite gone. “Confused.”
Daniel didn’t say anything right away. Then, gently, “You don’t owe him anything, Maya.”
I swallowed hard. “I know.”
But knowing and feeling weren’t the same thing.
The Unwanted Meeting
I should’ve blocked Adrian’s number. I should’ve deleted his messages and walked away like I had promised myself I would.
But that night, as I sat on my bed scrolling through my phone, another text came through.
Adrian: Just one conversation. Please.
My heart clenched. I should ignore it. I should.
But my fingers betrayed me before my brain could catch up.
Me: Where?
His reply was almost immediate.
Adrian: Our spot. 8 PM.
Our spot. The small park by the river where we used to sit for hours, dreaming about a future that never came.
I knew going was a mistake. But some part of me—the part still tangled in the past—needed closure.
So at 7:55 PM, I found myself standing by the river, my breath visible in the cold night air.
And then, he was there.
Adrian.
His hair was shorter than I remembered, his face more tired. But his eyes? They were the same. The same ones that once made me feel like the center of the universe. The same ones that had watched me walk away.
“You came,” he said softly.
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my voice steady. “I don’t know why.”
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Because we weren’t supposed to end like that.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “We weren’t supposed to end at all, Adrian. But you made sure we did.”
Pain flickered across his face. “I know. And I hate myself for it.”
I looked away, the memories hitting me like a wave.
“Why now?” I asked after a moment. “Why are you suddenly here, saying all of this?”
Adrian stepped closer. “Because I’ve spent every day regretting it. Because I never stopped loving you.”
My breath caught.
“You don’t get to say that,” I whispered. “Not after everything.”
His hands clenched into fists. “Maya, I was scared. I didn’t know how to love you the way you deserved back then. But I do now.”
I shook my head, stepping back. “You don’t get to come back into my life and pretend like you didn’t destroy me.”
His voice cracked. “I don’t want to pretend. I just want another chance.”
Tears burned my eyes. “I don’t know if I can give you that.”
Silence stretched between us, filled with all the things we wanted to say but couldn’t.
Then, softly, he asked, “Are you happy?”
The question caught me off guard.
I thought about Daniel. About the quiet moments that felt like healing. About the way he looked at me like I was enough.
And I realized—I didn’t owe Adrian anything. Not my pain. Not my forgiveness. Not even an answer.
I turned away. “Goodbye, Adrian.”
This time, I walked away without looking back.
But even as I did, I knew this wasn’t over.
Because the past doesn’t let go that easily.
And neither did Adrian.
- Writer
