Long Day

Lia’s POV I recognized her immediately—Bella, Lucas’s ex. I never pried into the details of their breakup; Lucas never brought it up during our time together, and I didn’t ask. Curiosity wasn’t my vice back then. But seeing them now, her arms wrapped around his neck in what looked like an intimate embrace, it hit me like a punch to the gut. To say I wasn’t hurt would be a bald-faced lie. Confusion swirled with shock, a bitter cocktail that made my chest tighten. But I wasn’t here to dredge up the past or rekindle old flames. I had a business proposal to pitch, contracts to secure. Whatever history they were revisiting had nothing to do with me. I forced my feet forward, offering Lucas a curt, professional nod as I passed. Whatever their relationship is now, it’s not my business, I told myself, though the words rang hollow. I was partly to blame for any void in his life—I’d vanished without a word, without explanation, leaving scars on both of us. I’d hurt him as deeply as I’d wounded m