Luna spent the next three days oscillating between excitement and sheer panic.
Excitement because, let's face it, the northern lights had been on her bucket list forever. Panic because agreeing to go on a trip with Liam—a man she'd spent two years trying to forget—felt like walking into a trap.
Her best friend, Zee, didn't help matters.
"You're going where with who?" Zee asked, staring at Luna over her cappuccino.
"It's just... a short trip," Luna mumbled, stirring her tea so aggressively the spoon clinked against the cup. "Like three days. Four max."
Zee raised an eyebrow. "And Austin's okay with this?"
Lina winced. She hadn't exactly told Austin. Yet.
"I'm going to tell him," she said quickly. "Tonight. Probably."
"Luna," ,Zee groaned, setting down her cup. "This has bad idea written all over it. Like, neon flashing lights level bad."
Luna sighed. "I know, okay? But it's just... Liam brought up this promise I made him years ago, and I don't know. It feels... important."
Zee folded her arms, clearly unimpressed. "Important like closure, or important like rekindling the flames of your chaotic ex-romance?"
Luna opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. She honestly didn't know the answer.
That evening, Luna sat across from Austin at their favorite Italian restaurant. He was mid-story about a work presentation when she blurted out, "Liam asked me to go on a trip with him."
Austin froze, his fork hovering over his plate. "Come again?"
"It's... complicated," she said quickly. "We were texting—by accident—and he brought up this old promise I made about seeing the northern lights. He booked tickets. He wants me to go."
Austin set his fork down slowly. "And you're considering it?"
"I don't know," Luna admitted. "It's not about... him. It's about this thing I've wanted to do for years, and—"
"But it is about him," Austin interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "You don't just take a trip with your ex for closure. You take it because you still have feelings for him."
"That's not true," Luna said, though the words felt hollow even as she spoke them.
Austin sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Look, Luna, if you think this trip is something you need to do, then do it. But don't pretend it's not going to change things between us."
Two days later, Luna found herself standing in the terminal of a small regional airport, her carry-on bag in one hand and her heart in her throat.
Liam appeared out of nowhere, his usual cocky grin in place. "Ready for an adventure?" he asked, slinging a backpack over his shoulder.
"Define 'ready,'" she muttered, following him toward the gate.
The flight was uneventful, though Luna found it impossible to relax with Liam sitting beside her. He spent most of the trip regaling her with ridiculous stories from his recent travels, his laugh infectious despite her best efforts to stay annoyed.
By the time they landed in a remote, snow-covered town, Luna was beginning to feel the first flickers of why she'd fallen for him in the first place.
"This is it," Liam said as they stepped outside, their breath visible in the freezing air. "Our basecamp for the next three days."
Luna looked around at the quaint, cabin-lined streets, the snowflakes falling gently from the sky. It was like something out of a postcard.
"It's beautiful," she admitted.
"And it gets better," Liam said, his grin widening. "Tomorrow night, the forecast says we'll have perfect conditions for the northern lights."
For the first time, Luna felt a twinge of excitement that wasn't laced with guilt or doubt.