The Day My Past Walked In
1068 Words
Chapter 1
The first time I saw him again, I forgot how to breathe
Not the dramatic kind you see in movies, not the soft gasp or shaky inhale, I mean it literally felt like my chest locked up and my lungs refused to work, like my body recognized him before my mind could catch up
Sebastian Steele
I hadn’t said his name out loud in two years, not since the night he walked away from me like everything we had meant nothing
And yet there he was
Standing at the far end of the conference room, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture straight, his presence filling the entire space like he owned it… which, apparently, he did
My fingers tightened around the file in my hand as I stood frozen by the door
No
No, this wasn’t happening
I had checked the company name, the department, everything, there was no way I would have accepted this job if I knew…
“Miss Carter?”
The voice snapped me back
I turned quickly, forcing myself to move, forcing my feet forward like they didn’t want to betray me
“Yes… sorry”
I walked into the room like nothing was wrong, like my heart wasn’t pounding so loud I was sure everyone could hear it, like the past wasn’t standing right in front of me wearing a cold, unreadable expression
He didn’t react
That was the worst part
No shock
No recognition
Nothing
Sebastian Steele looked at me the same way he looked at everyone else in the room—calm, distant, professional
Like I was a stranger
Something twisted painfully in my chest
So this is how it was going to be
Fine
I could do this too
I straightened my shoulders and took my seat, placing the file neatly on the table, pretending my hands weren’t slightly shaking
The meeting started
Voices filled the room, numbers, strategies, plans, but none of it registered properly, my mind was too busy trying to process the fact that the man who once held me like I was everything… now acted like I was nothing
I stole a glance at him
Big mistake
His eyes were already on me
Dark, steady, unreadable
For a second, just a second, something flickered there
Something familiar
Something dangerous
Then it was gone
He looked away like it didn’t matter
Like I didn’t matter
I swallowed hard and forced my attention back to the meeting
This was just a job
Just a job
That’s what I told myself over and over again
Until the meeting ended
Chairs moved, people stood, conversations started, and I stayed seated a second longer than necessary, trying to steady myself
I just needed to leave
That’s all
Get out, go home, pretend this never happened
“Miss Carter”
My name
His voice
Low, calm, and way too familiar
My heart skipped
I closed my eyes for a brief second before standing up and turning to face him
“Yes, sir?”
The word tasted strange in my mouth
Sir
As if I hadn’t once whispered his name in an entirely different way
He studied me for a moment, his gaze sharp, almost like he was searching for something
“You’re new”
It wasn’t a question
“Yes”
A pause
Too long
Too heavy
“You’ll be working directly under me”
The words hit harder than they should
I felt it
That slight shift in my chest, that uncomfortable tightening
Of course I would
Because life clearly had a sense of humor
“I understand” I said, keeping my voice steady
His eyes lingered on me for a second longer, then he gave a small nod and walked past me like nothing had just happened
Like we had never happened
I stood there, unmoving
Trying to breathe
Trying to think
Trying to convince myself that I could handle this
I had survived him once
I could survive him again
Right?....
By the time I got home, my head was spinning
I dropped my bag on the couch and sank into it, staring at nothing
Of all the places in the world
Of all the people
It had to be him
I let out a shaky breath and leaned back, closing my eyes
“Get it together, Amelia” I muttered to myself
This changes nothing
He left
He made his choice
And I… I moved on
At least that’s what I had been telling myself
My phone buzzed beside me
I frowned and picked it up
Unknown number
For a second, I considered ignoring it
But something made me answer
“Hello?”
Silence
Then a voice
Low
Unfamiliar
And yet… not entirely
“You shouldn’t have gone back to him”
My grip on the phone tightened
“What?”
A soft chuckle came from the other end
Cold
Unsettling
“Some memories are better left forgotten, Amelia”
My heart started pounding
“Who is this?”
No answer
Just breathing
Then—
The call ended
I stared at my phone, my mind racing
What kind of nonsense was that?
A prank?
But the way he said my name…
It didn’t feel like a joke
A strange uneasiness settled in my chest
I shook my head and dropped the phone, trying to ignore it
I was overthinking
That’s all
I stood up and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water
But as I lifted it to my lips…
My hand paused
A sudden sharp pain shot through my head
I gasped, gripping the counter as memories—no, flashes—hit me
A dark room
Voices arguing
Sebastian’s voice… urgent… desperate
“Do it now, before it’s too late”
My breath caught
What… was that?
I blinked rapidly, the pain fading just as quickly as it came
The glass slipped slightly in my hand
That didn’t make sense
I had never
My phone buzzed again
I froze
Slowly, I turned
Same unknown number
My heart pounded as I picked it up
This time, I didn’t speak
The voice came immediately
“You’re starting to remember… aren’t you?”
A chill ran down my spine
“…remember what?” I whispered
A pause
Then
“Ask your boss what he took from you”
The line went dead
And this time…
I knew something was very, very wrong
- Writer
