Lily woke up to the loud sound of her alarm, cutting through her dream. She groaned and reached for her phone, forcing herself to sit up. Today was the day. The day she'd agreed to meet Jake Matthews—the guy who made high school miserable—and, of all things, she'd agreed to meet him for coffee.
Just the thought made her stomach turn. She flopped back onto the bed, pulling the blankets over her head, wanting to hide from reality for a little longer.
After dragging herself out of bed and freshening up in the bathroom, Lily sat cross-legged on her couch, phone in hand. She had just finished sending a text to Mara, hoping for some much-needed advice.
Before she could even put the phone down, Mara's name flashed on the screen. Lily sighed, knowing she was in for a long conversation. She answered the call, bracing herself.
"Please tell me you're kidding," Mara said, her voice a mix of shock and laughter.
"I wish I was," Lily mumbled, sinking deeper into the couch.
"You swiped right on Jake Matthews? Jake Matthews? The guy who made your life hell in high school?" Mara sounded both amused and horrified.
Lily groaned and covered her eyes. "It was an accident! I had a few glasses of wine, wasn't paying attention, and boom! We matched."
Mara burst out laughing. "Oh my God. This is unbelievable. How does this even happen?"
"I know, right?" Lily said, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed. "Out of all the people I could've matched with, it had to be him. The universe is seriously messing with me."
"What did he say? He had to message you by now."
Lily paused, unsure how to explain it. "He did. He actually asked if we could 'catch up' over coffee, like we were old friends or something."
Mara snorted. "Catch up? On what? His greatest hits of making your life miserable?"
"Exactly!" Lily agreed. "I mean, the guy was awful to me for years, and now he thinks we can just have a latte and laugh it off?"
"Please tell me you told him to forget it," Mara said, sounding serious now.
Lily sighed. "I didn't."
There was a long pause. "Wait. What?" Mara finally said, clearly confused.
"I know, I know," Lily said quickly. "I was going to say no, but I thought about it and figured, why not? Maybe he's changed. Maybe I can finally get some closure."
Mara groaned. "Lily, closure is for therapy, not coffee with the guy who tortured you in high school. You know that, right?"
Lily laughed. "Okay, fair point. But what if he's different? What if he's grown up?"
Mara stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "I'll bet you a hundred bucks he's still the same jerk, just in better clothes."
Lily rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing. "Come on, people change. Maybe he's grown up since then."
"I don't know, Lily. This is Jake Matthews we're talking about. If he doesn't apologize for spreading that rumor about you and Mr. McKinley, I'm coming over to throw coffee in his face myself."
Lily winced at the memory. "Oh, don't worry. If he's still that guy, I'll be out of there faster than you can say 'high school trauma.'"
Mara's tone softened. "I just don't want you to get hurt again. You've come so far since high school, and the last thing you need is to reopen those old wounds."
"I know," Lily said, looking out the window as sunlight started to fill her apartment. "I'm not expecting a miracle. But I need to see for myself, you know?"
Mara sighed. "Well, I can't stop you. But keep your phone handy, okay? The second he says something stupid, you're out of there. And remember, coffee can be a weapon."
Lily laughed. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
"And seriously, let me know how it goes. This is either going to be a disaster, or… well, it's probably going to be a disaster."
"Thanks for the confidence," Lily said, smiling.
"Hey, I'm just being realistic. But really, good luck, Lily. You've got this."
After they hung up, Lily stared at her phone, the weight of the day finally sinking in. Meeting Jake was going to stir up old memories she'd long tried to forget.
With a deep breath, Lily stood up and got ready. No matter what happened, she would face it head-on. And if Jake was still the same guy from high school? Well, she had a cup of coffee ready, just in case.