The invitation sat on my kitchen counter like a ticking time bomb.
I had been staring at it for the past fifteen minutes, coffee in one hand, dread curling in my stomach. My sister, Emma, had sent it weeks ago, but I had ignored it, hoping that if I pretended it didn't exist, I wouldn't have to face the inevitable.
Now, time was up.
"You better not be thinking about skipping out on my wedding," Emma's voice rang in my head from our last phone call. "I don't care how awkward it is. You're my sister, and I need you there."
Awkward was an understatement.
Because while I was genuinely happy for Emma, her fiancé wasn't just anyone. He was Andrew Sinclair. The best friend of my ex-husband.
Which meant there was no avoiding Lucas Montgomery.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. It had been three years since I last saw him, three years since I signed the divorce papers and walked away from the life we had built together. I had spent every minute of those years convincing myself that I was over him. That I had moved on. That I didn't care.
So why did the thought of seeing him again make my hands tremble?
Shaking my head, I picked up the invitation, running my fingers over the elegant gold lettering. Emma Sinclair & Andrew Montgomery request the honor of your presence... The date was two weeks away, and the location was the last place I wanted to go-our hometown.
I had left that town for a reason.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I set my coffee down and walked over, expecting my neighbor or maybe a package delivery. But when I opened it, my stomach dropped.
Standing on my doorstep, looking just as devastatingly handsome as he had all those years ago, was Lucas Montgomery.
"Hello, Claire." His voice was smooth, deep, too familiar. His gaze flickered over me, something unreadable in his stormy blue eyes.
I gripped the doorframe to keep myself steady. "Lucas," I breathed. "What are you doing here?"
A smirk played on his lips, but there was something else beneath it. Something cautious. "Emma sent me."
Of course, she did.
"She was worried you might need a little... encouragement," he continued. "So she asked me to make sure you don't back out of the wedding."
A sharp laugh escaped me. "And you agreed?"
"I owed her a favor."
I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could respond, he leaned against the doorframe, his expression shifting.
"But between you and me," he added, his voice lower, "I wanted to see you."
My breath caught.
Three years. Three years of silence, of pretending we were strangers.
And now, just like that, Lucas Montgomery was back in my life.
And I had no idea if I was ready for it.
I wasn't ready for this.
Not for the way Lucas looked at me, like I was still someone who mattered. Not for the way his presence stirred something deep inside me-something I had spent years trying to bury.
I tightened my grip on the door, keeping my expression neutral. "You wanted to see me?" I echoed, my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me.
Lucas studied me for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. Then, with a slow nod, he said, "Yeah. It's been a while."
Three years. A thousand days. A lifetime.
"I figured we could catch up," he added, shifting his weight. "Talk."
Talk. The last time we had spoken, our words had been like knives, cutting too deep to ever fully heal. I had told myself there was nothing left to say, no unfinished business. But now, standing here with him, I wasn't so sure.
"I don't think that's a good idea," I finally said, stepping back. "Thanks for stopping by, but I have a lot to do."
Lucas didn't move. His gaze flickered over me like he was memorizing every detail. "Are you really planning to skip Emma's wedding?"
I exhaled sharply. "I haven't decided yet."
"You mean you've already decided, and you're looking for an excuse to back out."
I clenched my jaw. He still knew exactly how to push my buttons.
Lucas tilted his head, his voice quieter when he spoke again. "Emma wants you there, Claire. Don't let whatever's between us stop you from showing up for your sister."
I swallowed hard. "This has nothing to do with you."
He raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't believe me.
Frustration flared in my chest. "I left that town for a reason, Lucas."
"And now you have a reason to go back," he countered.
I hated that he was right. Hated that a part of me was already considering it.
A breeze drifted through the open door, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. The weight of the past settled between us, thick and suffocating.
Finally, Lucas sighed. "I won't push. But think about it, okay?"
Before I could answer, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding, my carefully built walls cracking.
I watched him go, knowing deep down that this wasn't the end of the conversation.
It was only the beginning.
I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to pretend Lucas hadn't just shown up at my door.
It didn't work.
No matter how hard I tried to distract myself-cleaning, answering work emails, even attempting to lose myself in a book-I couldn't shake the memory of his voice, the way his eyes lingered on me like he was searching for something he'd lost.
I hated that a part of me still reacted to him.
I had spent the last three years rebuilding myself, learning how to exist in a world where Lucas Montgomery was just a name from my past. And now, with a single visit, he had undone everything.
I sighed and rubbed my temples. Maybe Emma was right-I needed to stop running. But going back to that town meant facing not just Lucas, but all the ghosts I had left behind.
And I wasn't sure I was ready.
A sharp knock at my door made me jolt. My heart leaped before my mind could catch up, and I cursed myself for even thinking it might be Lucas again.
I pulled the door open, only to find my best friend, Sophie, standing there with two cups of coffee and an all-too-knowing expression.
"I come bearing caffeine and emotional support," she said, holding out one of the cups. "Now let me in before your neighbors start thinking I've been abandoned."
I stepped aside, letting her waltz into my apartment like she owned the place. Sophie had been my rock through everything-the divorce, the move, the nights when I swore I'd never feel whole again.
She flopped onto my couch, kicking off her shoes. "Okay, spill. You sounded weird on the phone earlier."
I sighed and sat beside her, taking a sip of the coffee she handed me. "Lucas showed up."
Her eyes widened. "Here? In your apartment? In the flesh?"
I nodded.
Sophie let out a low whistle. "Damn. And here I was thinking the universe was going to give you a break."
I huffed a laugh, but there was no real humor in it. "He said Emma sent him to make sure I don't skip the wedding."
Sophie narrowed her eyes. "And you believe that?"
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She took a slow sip of her coffee, watching me. "I mean, maybe Emma asked him to check on you. But Lucas Montgomery doesn't do favors just because someone asks. If he showed up, it's because he wanted to."
The thought unsettled me more than I cared to admit.
Sophie studied my face, then sighed. "So, what are you going to do?"
I hesitated, staring down at my cup. "I don't know."
She nudged me with her elbow. "Yes, you do. You're just too scared to admit it."
I swallowed hard. Because deep down, I did know.
I was going back home.
And whether I was ready or not, I was going to see Lucas again.
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