Almost Us

Chapter 1: The Person I Never Forgot Aria Hayes believed that some people were meant to stay in your life forever. And some people were only meant to teach you how to let go. Five years ago, she thought Adrian Cole was the first kind. She was wrong. The city was louder than she remembered. Cars rushed through the streets, people moved like they were chasing invisible deadlines, and the tall buildings blocked out most of the morning sky. Aria stood outside the coffee shop she had visited countless times during college, staring at the place that held too many memories. Especially one. "You're doing that thing again." Aria looked beside her and saw Chloe Parker raising an eyebrow. "What thing?" Aria asked. "The thing where you pretend you're just looking at a building, but your brain is somewhere completely different." Aria rolled her eyes. "I haven't thought about him in years." Chloe gave her a knowing look. "You said his name before I even mentioned him." Aria opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. Annoying best friends always noticed everything. "Adrian Cole is old news," Aria said, adjusting her bag. "I'm not the same person I was five years ago." Chloe smiled. "That's true. The old Aria would have cried. The new Aria just lies with confidence." "You're impossible." "And you're avoiding the truth." Before Aria could respond, her phone buzzed. A message from her new workplace. Your meeting has been moved to 10 a.m. The CEO will be attending. Aria sighed. "Great. First day back in the city and I already have to impress someone important." Chloe glanced at the message. "CEO? Maybe he's handsome." "Maybe he's annoying." "Maybe he's both." Aria laughed softly, shaking her head. She had no idea how right Chloe was. The office was exactly what Aria expected: polished floors, expensive furniture, and people who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. She walked into the conference room with her notes in hand, ready to prove she belonged there. Then she heard a familiar voice. "Good morning." Her steps froze. No. It couldn't be. Slowly, Aria looked up. Standing at the front of the room was a man in a perfectly fitted suit, older than the boy she remembered but carrying the same familiar eyes. Adrian Cole. The person she had spent years trying not to remember. For a moment, neither of them moved. Five years disappeared in a single glance. His expression changed slightly, like he was surprised too. "Aria?" Hearing her name from his lips felt like opening a door she had locked a long time ago. She forced herself to look away. "Mr. Cole." The distance in her voice was obvious. Adrian noticed. And somehow, that hurt more than he expected. Everyone else in the room started the meeting, unaware of the history sitting between them. But Aria couldn't focus. Not when the person she thought she would never see again was sitting across from her. Not when she remembered the last words he said to her. "Maybe we were never meant to happen." And not when she realized the worst part wasn't seeing Adrian Cole again. The worst part was knowing a small piece of her heart was still waiting for him. To be continued... ✨