I found myself at the bistro Leo Mason and I used to frequent. Three years of planning our lives over these scratched tables—house, children, retirement.
I never calculated that my father would block my interview to secure Vanessa's spot. Or that Leo would take the job Richard offered him.
A month later, Leo broke up with me. "Long-distance" was his excuse.
Now, sitting in a quiet corner, a familiar voice drifted from the booth across from me.
"I used to eat here in college. The fish is excellent."
"Used to?" A female voice purred. "Who did you come here with?"
He chuckled.
I froze.
"Leo?" The name slipped out.
He turned slowly. Our eyes locked.
Beside him, Vanessa stared at me, fork frozen mid-air.
"Rena?"
Leo Mason paused, his expression shifting as he turned to Vanessa. "Give me a second, okay? Be good."
He offered her a gentle, reassuring smile. The moment he turned back to me, the warmth vanished. He gripped my arm and dragged me away from the crowd.
"Don't get the wrong idea," he said, voice low. "I didn't meet her until after we split."
"Liar." The word scraped my throat. "I know the timeline. She started seeing someone around this time last year. We were still together."