The small coffee shop on Main Street hadn’t changed much in the three years since Raine Hart had last stepped inside. The same mismatched chairs, the same faded art on the walls, the same chalkboard menu with smudged writing. It was comforting in its familiarity—until she saw him.
Cal Parker was leaning against the counter, his black jacket slung over one shoulder, his hair just as messy as she remembered. He turned, and their eyes met, the familiar pull in his gaze almost too much to bear.
“Raine?” His voice carried across the room, smooth and warm, like no time had passed.
Her pulse quickened as he approached. “Hey, Cal.”
“You’re back?” he asked, his smile easy but his dark eyes scanning hers for answers. “What brings you to town?”
“My sister’s wedding,” she said quickly. “Just here for a few weeks.”
“That’s good,” he said softly, his gaze lingering. “It’s really good to see you.”
Her breath hitched, and she hated herself for the way his words stirred something in her. She forced a tight smile. “It’s been a long time.”
“Not long enough to forget,” he replied, his voice dropping just enough to make her chest tighten.
Raine swallowed hard, brushing past him toward the counter. But as she waited for her coffee, she could feel his eyes on her, his presence impossibly close. It felt like the start of something—and she didn’t know whether to run from it or let it pull her in.
The Unavoidable Collision
Over the next week, Cal seemed to appear everywhere—at the farmer’s market, where he played his guitar for tips; at the library, where her niece’s storytime coincided with his nephew’s; and at the bakery, where he always managed to snag the last chocolate croissant.
“You’re following me,” Raine accused one afternoon, crossing her arms as he handed her the croissant he’d just bought.
“Maybe,” he said, his grin disarming. “Or maybe it’s fate.”
“Fate doesn’t work like that,” she replied, glaring at him.
“Maybe it does,” he said, stepping closer, his voice softening. “Maybe it’s trying to remind you of something we both forgot.”
Her heart thudded in her chest, but she turned away. “We didn’t forget. We just knew better.”
“That’s not how I remember it,” he said, his voice low and steady, pulling her gaze back to his. “I remember loving you more than anything.”
The intensity in his words hit her like a wave, but she refused to let him see the way they shook her. Instead, she turned sharply, leaving the bakery without another word.
A Moment Too Close
That night, Raine found herself on her sister’s porch, trying to shake the feeling of Cal’s words echoing in her head. She didn’t expect him to show up—but there he was, standing under the porch light, his hands tucked in his jacket pockets.
“You’ve got to stop doing this,” she said, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
“Doing what?” he asked, stepping closer. The light above cast shadows across his face, making his dark eyes seem impossibly deep. “Being honest? Trying?”
“Showing up like this,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re making it harder.”
“Harder for what?” he asked, his voice dropping as he closed the distance between them. “To keep pretending you don’t feel anything for me?”
Her breath caught as he stepped closer, his proximity overwhelming. “Cal…”
“You can tell me to leave,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “But you won’t.”
She hated how right he was. She hated the way his presence made her walls feel paper-thin. And she hated the way his hand brushed hers, igniting a spark that had never truly gone out.
Her voice was barely a whisper. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“No,” he said, his eyes locked onto hers. “But it’s a start.”
The Breaking Point
The final crack in Raine’s defenses came a few nights later, when she found herself at the old music studio where Cal had spent countless nights recording. She didn’t know what had drawn her there, but as she stepped inside, she heard the soft strum of a guitar.
Cal was sitting on the floor, his guitar resting on his knee, his eyes closed as he played a melody she recognized all too well. It was the song he’d written for her, the one he’d played the night he told her he loved her for the first time.
“You shouldn’t still play that,” she said, her voice trembling.
His eyes snapped open, and a small smile played on his lips. “It’s the only thing that’s ever felt finished.”
Raine stepped closer, her heart pounding. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I never stopped loving you,” he said simply, setting the guitar aside and standing to face her. “Because I’ve spent every day since you left wishing I’d been better for you.”
She shook her head, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “You’re too late.”
“I don’t believe that,” he said, stepping closer. His voice was steady, but there was a rawness in his eyes that made her chest ache. “Tell me you don’t feel anything for me, and I’ll leave you alone. But if you still care, even a little, then let me prove I’m not the same man I was.”
Her breath hitched as he stopped just inches from her. His presence was overwhelming, his eyes searching hers with a vulnerability she hadn’t expected. She hated him for making her feel so exposed, so unsure.
“I hate you for this,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“No, you don’t,” he said softly, lifting a hand to brush a strand of hair from her face. His touch was warm, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
And then he kissed her.
It was fierce and desperate, a collision of everything they’d been holding back. Raine’s hands found his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she kissed him back with the same intensity. The years of distance between them melted away in that moment, leaving nothing but the raw, aching truth.
When they finally pulled apart, Cal rested his forehead against hers, his breathing ragged. “Let me try, Raine. Please.”
Tears stung her eyes, and she nodded, her voice barely audible. “One chance.”
The Beginning Again
It wasn’t easy, but they found their way back to each other. Cal showed her every day that he meant what he said, and Raine, slowly but surely, let her walls come down. They weren’t the same people they had been, but maybe that was why they worked this time.
Under the city lights, with his hand in hers, Raine finally let herself believe in second chances.