Chapter 17: The Past Lingers

Elara woke up the next morning feeling more rested than she had in weeks. The night with A had been exactly what she needed—a reminder that life could be simple and comforting, even in the midst of chaos. Yet, as she made her way to work, her mind drifted back to Kieran’s message. No matter how much she tried to push it away, the past had a way of lingering in the corners of her mind.

By the time she reached the office, she had convinced herself that she could handle whatever came next. She was done with Kieran, done with the hurt and the confusion he had caused. But the universe had a strange way of testing resolve.

As Elara stepped into the office, her phone buzzed with another message. Her heart sank when she saw Kieran’s name flash on the screen again.

Kieran: I know you’ve moved on, but can’t we at least talk one last time? I need to see you, Elara.

She stared at the message, her hands trembling slightly. Why couldn’t he just stop? It felt like every time she tried to move forward, he was there, pulling her back into the past. A surge of frustration and anger welled up inside her. She didn’t owe him anything—she had made that clear. But a small part of her, the part that had loved him once, felt torn.

Before she could overthink it, she shoved the phone into her bag and walked into the office, determined to focus on work. She had a big presentation today, and the last thing she needed was to be distracted by Kieran.

Her team was already gathered in the conference room when she arrived, preparing for the meeting. Elara took a deep breath, pushing Kieran’s message out of her mind as she joined them. Today was important—if they nailed this presentation, it could mean securing a huge client for the company. She couldn’t afford to let personal issues interfere.

“Morning, everyone,” she greeted her colleagues, forcing a smile as she sat down and opened her laptop. “Ready for this?”

A few of them nodded, but the tension in the room was palpable. This project had been a monumental effort, with late nights and constant revisions. Now, they were finally at the finish line, and the pressure to succeed was higher than ever.

As they ran through the final details, Elara’s mind briefly wandered back to A. He had been so understanding last night, so supportive. She hadn’t told him about Kieran’s new message yet, but maybe she should. He deserved to know what was going on, and maybe he could help her navigate this.

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she pushed it away. No, she didn’t want to drag A into the mess that was her past relationship. He had already done so much for her. This was something she needed to handle on her own.

The presentation started smoothly, with Elara leading the team through the key points. She was confident, poised, and focused, and the clients seemed impressed. As the meeting progressed, she found herself easing into the flow, her earlier nerves fading away.

But just as they were wrapping up, her phone buzzed again.

Without thinking, she glanced down at it, her heart sinking when she saw another message from Kieran.

Kieran: I’m at the café near your office. Please, just give me five minutes. I need to say this in person.

A wave of anger washed over her. How dare he show up unannounced? She had been clear—she didn’t want to see him again. And now, in the middle of her workday, he was demanding her attention.

“Elara?”

Her boss’s voice snapped her back to the present. She looked up to see the entire room staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish the presentation. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she realized she had been staring at her phone for too long.

“Sorry,” she muttered, quickly locking her phone and focusing on the screen in front of her. She finished the presentation, but her mind was no longer in the room.

When the meeting finally ended, her boss congratulated her on a job well done, but Elara barely heard the praise. Her thoughts were consumed by Kieran and his persistence. She knew she should ignore him, but part of her was curious. What could he possibly have to say that he hadn’t already said?

Frustrated and unsure, she grabbed her phone and walked out of the conference room. Her colleagues were busy discussing the next steps, but Elara needed a moment to clear her head. She stepped outside into the crisp autumn air, the cool breeze doing little to calm her nerves.

Against her better judgment, she opened Kieran’s message again and stared at it for a long time.

What harm could five minutes do? she thought. If she met him and let him say whatever he needed to, maybe he would finally leave her alone. Maybe this would be the true end she needed to move on.

Before she could stop herself, she typed a quick response.

Fine. Five minutes. That’s it.

She hit send and immediately regretted it. But it was done. Now all she could do was face whatever was coming.

Elara made her way to the café, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn’t seen Kieran in person since their last encounter, and part of her was dreading this meeting. But another part of her—the part that craved closure—was eager to get it over with.

When she arrived, she spotted him sitting at a corner table, his hands wrapped around a cup of coffee. He looked different somehow—tired, worn out, as if the weight of their past had finally taken its toll on him.

Elara walked over and sat down across from him without a word. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Kieran looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and something else she couldn’t quite place.

“Thank you for coming,” he said quietly, his voice rough.

“You’ve got five minutes,” Elara replied, her tone sharper than she intended.

Kieran nodded, taking a deep breath before he began. “I know I’ve made mistakes, Elara. I know I hurt you. And I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I just need you to understand that I’m sorry. For everything.”

Elara clenched her jaw, her emotions swirling inside her. She had heard this before—the apologies, the promises. But something about the way Kieran spoke now felt different, more genuine. Still, she wasn’t ready to let her guard down.

“I’m not here for apologies, Kieran. I’m here because you won’t leave me alone,” she said, her voice cold. “I’ve moved on. I’ve told you that. Why can’t you respect that?”

Kieran’s expression tightened, pain flickering across his face. “Because I can’t let go. I’ve tried, but I can’t. Elara, I loved you. I still do.”

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and suffocating. Elara felt a surge of frustration and anger. How dare he throw this at her now, after everything that had happened?

“I don’t want to hear this,” she said, standing up. “You had your chance, Kieran. We’re done.”

As she turned to leave, Kieran reached out, his hand gently grabbing her wrist. “Please, Elara. Just… don’t walk away like this. I need you to know that I’ve changed. I want another chance.”

Elara pulled her hand free, her eyes blazing with anger. “It’s too late for that. Goodbye, Kieran.”

Without another word, she walked out of the café, her heart racing. She didn’t look back.

As she made her way down the street, the weight of the encounter settled over her. She had done it—she had faced Kieran one last time, and now, there was no going back. The past was finally behind her, and it was time to move forward.

With A.

To be continued...