Chapter 2 The Dance of the Past

Ava had survived the first encounter.

Or so she thought.

She had spent the last twenty minutes dodging small talk, pretending to be fully engaged in conversations about careers, babies, and summer vacations. Anything to distract her from him-the man who had once held her entire heart, only to be left behind in a town she swore she'd never return to.

But fate was cruel.

Because when the music shifted to a slow, romantic melody and the emcee called for all couples to take the floor, Emma's voice rang out behind her.

"Ava! Ethan!"

Ava turned, her champagne glass freezing halfway to her lips.

Emma was beaming, standing beside her new husband, completely oblivious to the silent war unfolding between her two oldest friends.

"You two should dance! For old times' sake."

No. No, no, no.

Ava opened her mouth to decline, to make some excuse, but before she could speak, Ethan held out a hand.

"Wouldn't want to disappoint the bride," he said, his voice calm. But his eyes... his eyes held something unreadable.

Ava hesitated. Her pulse pounded in her throat. Dancing with Ethan was a mistake. A terrible, heart-wrenching mistake.

And yet, against all logic, she slipped her hand into his.

His fingers curled around hers, firm and warm, sending a shock of familiarity through her entire body.

Before she could rethink her choice, he pulled her onto the dance floor.

The moment his other hand settled on her waist, Ava's breath hitched. The warmth of his palm burned through the fabric of her dress, igniting memories she had long buried.

They swayed slowly, the music wrapping around them like a spell.

Neither of them spoke.

For a moment, it felt like the past was reaching out, trying to drag her under. She remembered the countless nights they had spent dancing under the stars, the way his arms had always made her feel safe, cherished, loved.

But that was a different lifetime.

A lifetime before she had broken his heart.

"You still avoid looking at me when you're nervous," Ethan finally said, his voice low.

Ava's head snapped up. "I'm not nervous."

His lips tilted into a slight smirk. "Right."

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. Big mistake. Because up close, his dark eyes held a storm of emotions-anger, hurt, something else she didn't dare name.

"I didn't think you'd come back to Maplewood," he said after a pause.

"I didn't think I would either," she admitted.

"And yet, here you are."

Ava let out a small breath. "It's just for the wedding, Ethan. I leave in two days."

Something flickered in his expression, gone too quickly for her to read. "So you're still running, huh?"

A sharp pang twisted in her chest. "I'm not running."

Ethan's grip tightened ever so slightly. "If that helps you sleep at night, Ava."

She stiffened. "You don't get to judge me."

He exhaled through his nose, his jaw clenching. "No. But I do get to ask one thing."

She hesitated. "...What?"

Ethan leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her ear.

"Why did you leave me?"

Ava's chest constricted. She could feel the years of unresolved tension crowding the air between them, suffocating her. Her throat tightened, and for a moment, she was back in that small bedroom, saying goodbye to him for the last time.

"I-" she began, but the words refused to form. How could she explain? How could she tell him the real reason, the one she had hidden from everyone, including herself?

The music played on, a gentle, mournful tune that mirrored the ache in her chest. She closed her eyes briefly, gathering herself. Ethan was waiting, his eyes fixed on her with an intensity that felt like a lifetime of unspoken questions.

But before she could respond, the song ended, breaking the fragile moment between them.

The crowd erupted into applause, signaling the end of the first dance. Ava stepped back, her heart hammering. She couldn't do this-not here, not now. Not with him so close, his touch still burning on her skin.

"I-I need some air," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Again.

She could feel Ethan's eyes on her as she hurried toward the terrace, her heels clicking urgently against the floor. The cool night air hit her like a wave, but it did little to calm the storm swirling inside her. Her mind raced, replaying every word, every glance.

What had she hoped for tonight? That things would be different? That she could pretend the past didn't exist, that she hadn't ruined everything between them?

She stopped at the edge of the terrace, gripping the railing as if it could anchor her to the present, to reality. The lights from the ballroom flickered in the distance, a soft golden glow against the night sky.

Her heart ached. It had never stopped aching for him.

"You can't run forever, Ava."

The voice startled her. She turned to find Ethan standing in the doorway, looking like he had just stepped out of a dream. His hair was tousled, his suit jacket unbuttoned, and there was a dark intensity in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine.

"I'm not running," she said, more firmly this time, though the words felt hollow.

Ethan took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "Then why are you still so afraid to face me? To face what happened?"

Ava's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to answer, to make him understand, but the words were trapped inside her, locked behind years of guilt and regret.

He didn't wait for her to speak. "You left, Ava. You didn't give me a choice. And now you show up here, acting like everything can go back to normal."

"I didn't think I'd ever come back," she whispered, the raw truth slipping from her lips before she could stop it.

Ethan's expression softened, but only slightly. "Why?"

Ava swallowed hard. "Because I couldn't bear to see you move on without me."

For the first time that night, there was a flicker of something in his eyes-softness, understanding, maybe even hope.

"I never moved on, Ava," he said quietly. "I've been waiting for you."

The weight of his words hit her like a wave, crashing over her with the force of all the years they had lost.

And for the first time in a long time, Ava allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance.