It has been two weeks since the strange and unexpected encounter with Andrew. Needless to say, I’ve stopped going to my favorite café to avoid running into him again, which annoys me to no end, because I genuinely love that place. At least I still have the mug—the one I stole and have no intention of returning anytime soon.

Hansel got suspicious when he noticed I wasn’t leaving the apartment except to buy groceries, as I can’t function without chocolate bars and my daily dose of caffeine. He asked if something was wrong, but I told him I was staying holed up in my bedroom so I could pull myself together and write the romance novel I was supposed to be working on. In reality, though, I spend most of my time staring at my laptop, thinking up possible plots to throw at Amanda and whoever she ends up dating. 

The result? Well, I still can’t get past the freaking first paragraph.

A knock on my bedroom door echoes through the room, followed by Hansel’s voice. “Emily?”

“What?” I yell back, not looking up from my laptop or moving from the comfort of my bed.

“I’ve brought you hot coffee from your favorite café,” he informs.

I flinch at the mention of that place. Still, the need for caffeine is practically unbearable, as it’s already eleven in the morning and I haven’t had any yet. So, the next thing I know, I’m opening the door and being greeted by Hansel’s lopsided smile and a takeaway coffee cup in his hand.

“Good morning, Mily,” he says, handing it to me. 

“Thank you, Hans.” I smile at him before bringing the cup to my lips.

“So?” He steps into my bedroom without asking for permission.

“So what?” I frown as I watch him glance at my laptop.

“How’s Love and Shit coming along?” He walks to the window and sticks his head outside, taking a deep, appreciative breath—he’s one of those super positive people who seem thrilled just to be alive, enjoying every second even when everything is going downhill.

“It’s not,” I huff, taking another sip. Gosh, I’ve missed this coffee. Andrew has officially ruined my daily routine. He could have owned a shoe store or something, but noooo. He had to own my favorite café, damn it.

“Have you picked a boyfriend for Amanda yet?” Hansel asks, glancing back at me before leaning out the window again like an overexcited dog.

I sit on the bed and sigh. “Nope. I don’t know what to write about, and—wait.” I frown at my roommate, confused. “How do you know my main character’s name is Amanda?” I can’t help but wonder, as I’ve only mentioned her to one person.

Hansel turns to face me, his lips curling into a mischievous smile.

“Oh, no,” I mumble, my eyes widening.

He nods, arching an eyebrow. “Guess who I ran into today at the café?”

I let out another sigh, slumping my shoulders in defeat. Why bother hiding the truth from Hansel for two weeks? He was bound to find out about Andrew eventually, and I could have left my self-imposed cave—also known as my bedroom—much sooner.

“Why didn’t you tell me Andrew lives in our building and owns that café?” Hansel steps closer, though he doesn’t dare touch me. He knows how volatile my mood gets whenever Andrew Keegan comes up.

“I don’t know,” I grumble, shrugging.

“I’m not attracted to men, but I have to admit that Andrew is one of the most good-looking men I’ve ever seen.”

“What did you two talk about?” My curiosity slips out before I can pretend I don’t care about my stupid first love.

Hansel laughs. “He told me you stole a mug from his café, and he asked if you’re against wearing shoes, since you were barefoot when he ran into you two weeks ago.”

I drop back onto my bed, groaning, “His presence caught me off guard, and I panicked, as usual.”

“He also asked if you’re still dating Dylan.” Hansel arches an eyebrow again as he sits beside me.

“He did?” I gasp, shocked. “Why?”

“I have no idea, but he sounded interested. Like he wanted to know more about you and your love life.”

By this point, my heart is pounding against my ribcage, and butterflies are going wild in my stomach. “Why would Andrew care about me? I didn’t even know he knew about Dylan.”

“Charlie told him back when they were still together,” Hansel explains.

“Still, that makes no sense. Why wouldn’t she tell him I only dated Dylan for a couple of months? Why let him think we were still together?”

“Maybe she forgot… Or maybe it just never came up. I don’t know. Anywho, I told Andrew that you and Dylan haven’t spoken in over four years and that you’re very single.” 

“Why would you tell him that?” I shriek. “What else did you say?”

“He asked if you were single, so I said yes. Then he asked why, and I told him you’re basically anti-romance, don’t believe in love, and haven’t dated anyone in years.” He bursts out laughing.

I gape at him, speechless. 

Great. He made me sound like a completely unhinged woman with no love life… Which isn’t entirely inaccurate, but still… Tch. Damn it. 

“How are you handling Andrew being back in your life, Mily?” Hansel wonders once he stops laughing. “I know how hard you worked to forget him.”

“I’m angry,” I admit. “He has no right to disrupt my life after all these years. What if he gets back together with Charlie, and I have to watch them again? I can’t do that, Hansel. I just can’t.” My voice cracks, my eyes welling up.

He lies down beside me, his voice softening as he says, “Hey. For what it’s worth, Andrew didn’t mention Charlie even once, and I genuinely don’t think he has any interest in getting back together with her.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I have a plan.” I jump to my feet and start pacing my bedroom like a maniac. “I’m going to take a vacation and escape to Mexico. That way, I won’t have to deal with Andrew or Charlie at all.” I grin from ear to ear.

“Your plan is very appealing,” Hansel snorts, “however, it won’t work because your agent will never let you disappear before you finish that romance novel. Besides, you can’t run from your past forever, Mily. You’ll have to face it eventually, whether you want to or not.”

“But I hate my past,” I whine, gulping down the rest of my coffee—I should have saved some for later… unless I convince Hansel to get me another cup, which is very possible.

“I know you do. But maybe Andrew popping back into your life is meant to help you deal with all that unfinished business,” he insists, climbing out of bed.

“Speaking of people resurfacing from the dead, guess who messaged me last month?” I open a social media app on my phone and shove it toward him.

“Who?” he asks, curious.

“Dylan,” I respond, annoyed that I ever wasted time thinking about a guy who broke my heart when I was sixteen.

“Oh wow,” Hansel exclaims, snatching the phone from my hand to read the message. “He says here that he misses you.” He glances at me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “But I thought he was dating a girl from his hometown.”

“He is,” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “They have been together for three years, and he still had the nerve to reach out. Can you believe that?”

He shakes his head in disapproval, clicking his tongue. “It just proves that he hasn’t changed at all and that he’s still the same cheater he always was.”

“I didn’t reply, obviously. I don’t even know why I didn’t block him when I blocked Andrew,” I mutter, taking my phone back and deleting Dylan’s message.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Dylan and Andrew earlier, Mily?” My roommate gives me an accusatory look. “What’s with all the secrets? Please don’t tell me you told Faith before you told me.”

“I didn’t tell anyone,” I groan, annoyed. “I’m just not ready to deal with Dylan or Andrew yet.”

Hansel’s eyes light up. “Okay, hear me out. What if you create a character made up of Andrew, Dylan, and Lucas’ traits? He could be a charming troublemaker—great company, a great kisser, but terrible boyfriend material. What do you think? It’s a genius idea, right?” He throws an arm around my neck.

“But Lucas isn’t a charming troublemaker,” I comment, thinking about the good memories I share with Lucas Jackson—the third and final guy I ever let into my heart and who, nowadays, is one of my closest friends.

“True, but he’s a great friend and a terrible one-night stand, and you know it.”

I playfully glare at him in response. “I hate you. Did you know that?”

“I do, and I hate you too,” he replies, laughing heartily before kissing my cheek. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk and grab more coffee from the café because you need to get out of here before you completely lose it. Though, honestly, I think that ship has already sailed.”

“What? Me, crazy?” I shriek dramatically, laughing with him.

“Get dressed. I’ll meet you at the front door in ten minutes,” he tells me, still laughing, and heading out. “Oh, and Mily? Don’t forget your shoes,” he teases.

I hurl a pillow at him, but he dodges it and shuts the door before I can reach for my teddy bear, leaving me alone.

I roll my eyes, flip him off in my head, and sit back down on the bed, because I am absolutely not leaving the safety of my bedroom. I will not deal with Andrew. I will not deal with Dylan. And I will definitely not relive the year my heart shattered for the second time.

…Or will I?

* * *