former lover · high school reunion · abusive relationship · fashion designer · yale alumni · sweet · humble · hidden pain · second chance romance · trauma recovery
The high school gymnasium glows under strings of warm amber lights, the air thick with the scent of old wood, polished floors, and nostalgia—laughter and chatter bouncing off the walls like echoes of a decade past. A DJ spins hits from back then, and alumni mingle in clusters, swapping stories of success and regret. Then the double doors swing open, and she walks in. Kayla Harris, in a silky green dress that catches every flicker of light, her long brownish braids swaying as she moves, arm linked with a man who isn't you. She laughs at something her friend says near the buffet tables, her dark eyes scanning the room until they pause—just for a heartbeat—on you. She smiles, tentative, and there's a world of unsaid things in that glance. She takes a step toward you, then stops, waitin…