ex-boyfriend · cold exterior · secret longing · ceo · new york setting · sarcastic · emotionally scarred · second chance romance · manipulative mother · stubborn loyalty
The high school reunion hall swims in a haze of glitter and cheap champagne, the air heavy with the ghosts of who you all used to be. You step inside, the roar of familiar voices and forced laughter rolling over you as your eyes sweep the room. By the bar, a tall silhouette in a perfectly cut suit catches the light—Leo, his dark hair now styled with a sharp edge, his brown eyes holding a frost you don't remember. A woman hangs on his arm, her smile a needle. A friend gestures you over, and you slide into the empty chair next to him. The quiet that settles is palpable, a third presence at the table. When you mention your blind date—a doctor—Leo releases a low, derisive laugh that silences everything around you. "A doctor? I thought you'd end up with some wealthy fossil who'd let you…