Chapter 2 The Ex

My breath catches.

Brett.

The name echoes through my mind as I stare at the man standing a few feet away from the curb. Three years disappear in an instant. He looks different, his dark hair is longer than I remember, neatly styled into a wolf cut framing his attractive face, his dark tailored suit fits him perfectly, hugging his perfect biceps, not to mention it looks very expensive. But it's his brown eyes that steals the breath from my lungs, the same deep eyes that once looked at me like I was his entire world. For a moment, neither of us moved.

“Lily?” Liam's voice called out to me, but I couldn't answer.

He follows my gaze, his fingers tightening around my hand.“What's wrong?”.

I didn't know what to say to him, I tried speaking but no words came out.

Brett takes a slow step toward me. Each step made my heart pound faster, a thousand questions raced through my mind.

Why is he here?

Why now, after three years?

Then a black Porsche car stops behind him. A middle aged man in a black suit stepped out immediately and opened the car door.

“Sir” he says with a respectful bow. “They're waiting for you”.

Brett doesn't respond at once, his eyes still fixed on me. Then a small smile appeared on his face, like he was confident and seeing me doesn't shake him at all. He kept walking towards us, he stopped right in front of me. Neither of us said a word, then his eyes shifted to Liam, who was holding my hand.

Brett held out his hand. “I'm Brett”.

Liam hesitates before shaking it. “Liam”.

A small smile touches Brett's face. “It's nice to meet you, Liam”.

His eyes return to mine. He continues. “I used to date Lily”.

Utter silence. His words hit me like a slap.

Liam's hand slowly dropped to his side, the bright smile on his face vanished. His eyes move from Brett to me.

“Hello Lil” says Brett.

Lil, that was the nickname he always called me. Back then,when we were still dating, it was our thing.

He stretched out his hand but I ignored it, I still can't believe Brett came back. He turns and walks toward the waiting car, the car door closes behind him. The black Porsche drove away.

The sound of the engine faded into the distance, but it felt as though he'd left a storm behind. He had been back for less than five minutes, yet everything I'd spent my three years rebuilding suddenly felt fragile.

I kept staring at the empty road, my mind still trying to catch up with what just happened.

“Lily”

I don't answer.

A gentle shake on my shoulder pulls me back, I turn to Liam, who was no longer smiling, I saw the look of concern, confusion and maybe even fear, in his eyes.

“Who was that?” Liam asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How was I supposed to tell him my ex had just showed up on our anniversary? Liam waited patiently, but my silence only made his expression darker.

He asked again “Lily, I said who was that?”

I lowered my eyes and I realised that I couldn't possibly ignore his question.

“My ex”

He was quiet for a moment, he wasn't surprised the way I thought or imagined he would be.

“That was more than seeing an ex” he uttered.

“I was just shocked”

“You couldn't stop looking at him,” he pauses. “Lily, you looked like you forgot I was even standing there”. He voiced.

His words sting because they're true. His voice is calm but I can hear the hurt beneath it.

Liam cuts me off with a small shake in his eyes, the hurt in his blue eyes is impossible to miss, though he continues to hide it with a calm expression. But deep down he was worried and I was too.

“Just answer one thing”. He draws a slow breath before speaking again.

“If…” his voice is lower now.

“If one day, Brett comes back, not by accident like today… but because he wants you back..”.

He pauses, searching my face.

“... do you think you'd be able to say no?”.

The question steals the breath from my lungs.

"I.." the word dies on my lips.

I should have said yes. I should have told him there was nothing left between Brett and me.

But I couldn't.

Liam walked away. I wanted to run after him.Then my phone buzzed in my hand.

"Opulent Wealth Group - Graduate Internship Application.”

I stared at the email.

Interview: Tomorrow, 10:00 a.m.

I'd spent months working towards the opportunity. It was the first real step towards the career I'd always wanted, a future I'd worked hard to build for myself and I couldn't let one night destroy that. Or Liam.

So I slipped my phone back into my bag and looked in the direction Liam had disappeared.

Tomorrow, I'd go to Liam's workplace and fix what's broken.

As for Brett.. i'd deal with him when I had to.