She knew she would see him.
She knew when she got home, when she picked the blue sweatshirt to match her eyes, when she hurriedly checked her makeup.
She knew as she sat outside waiting for her shrink, Carey, obsessively looking at herself on her IPhone mirror.
She knew when she heard his raspy voice speaking to Carey. Then, when the voice mentioned their high school, her heart plummeted and she was sure it was him.
At 7:05, 5 minutes after her appointment began, she walked into the room. Her heart was wildly pumping; she was surprised no one else could hear its erratic thumping.
He was there.
In his khaki shorts and gray T-shirt. With his hair, and his height, and his eyes. The last part was an assumption, as she refused to meet those beautiful eyes.
She greeted the shrink cheerfully. "Hi, Carey!" she said brightly, dying on the inside. She started to place her belongings on the creamy beige desk. He muttered something about getting out of her or Carey's way, to which she responded with either a half eye-roll or an angry blink. Still, not meeting his eyes.
Then he left, and she told Carey about the last two months, emphasizing her amazing summer, fully aware he could hear on his way out.
A few minutes into the session, she realized she had forgotten her journal. She rushed outside to retrieve the journal from her car.
No one.
He was gone.
She went back inside, her eyes flicking to her phone in her bag.
Nothing.
No apology text. No "Hey, friend". Nothing.
And yet she kept looking. And kept checking. Even after her session. She even harbored the secret wish that he would be waiting outside for her, that he had waited an hour just to see her face, explain himself, kiss her, or all of the above.
Of course, he didn't.
She looked outside, searching the deserted parking lot, at 8:10 pm.
Nothing. No one.
It's like they were strangers.