Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTY1K21167D059XQYM57EVV

The Raven's Nest was busier than usual for a Tuesday night. Rory pushed through the crowd, her delivery bag bumping against people as she made her way to the bar. She caught Silas' eye and he nodded, already pouring her usual. "Busy tonight," she said, setting the bag on the bar. Silas slid a glass of red wine toward her. "Big game at the arena. Draws the crowds." Rory took a sip, scanning the room. Her gaze snagged on a man sitting alone in a corner booth, his back to the wall. Something about the set of his shoulders, the way he held his glass, sent a jolt through her. She knew him. The realization hit like a physical blow. Brendan. Her Brendan. The one who'd gotten away. Seven years. Seven years since she'd last seen that face, heard that voice. He'd been her everything back then, before life and distance and bad decisions had pulled them apart. Rory's hands trembled slightly as she set down her glass. She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't. But the pull was too strong to resist. She made her way across the bar, heart pounding. As she approached the booth, Brendan looked up. His eyes widened in recognition. "Aurora?" His voice was rough, hesitant. She slid into the seat across from him. "Hi, Brendan." He studied her face, searching for the girl he'd known. "You look... different." "Do I?" She touched her hair self-consciously. It was shorter now, sleeker. More sophisticated. "You've changed." He shook his head. "But not really. You're still the same Aurora underneath." She wanted to laugh. If only he knew. If only he could see the secrets she carried, the darkness that lurked beneath her carefully crafted exterior. "What are you doing here, Brendan?" she asked softly. "Business trip. I'm in town for a few days." He leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I heard about your father. I'm sorry." Rory nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Her father's death last year had been sudden, unexpected. A heart attack in the middle of the night. She'd flown back to Cardiff for the funeral, but it hadn't been the same. Too much time had passed, too many bridges burned. "How's your mother?" Brendan asked. "She's good. Teaching part-time at the university." Rory fiddled with her wine glass. "And you? Married? Kids?" He shook his head. "No. Never found the right person, I guess." He smiled wryly. "You?" "No." The word came out sharper than she intended. "No, I didn't." An awkward silence fell between them. Rory studied Brendan's face, noting the lines around his eyes, the touch of grey at his temples. He was older, more serious. But still undeniably him. "What happened to us, Aurora?" he asked quietly. She looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "Life happened. We grew up." "Is that all it was? Growing up?" His voice was tinged with bitterness. "I waited for you, you know. I waited for years, hoping you'd come back." "I couldn't." The words tasted like ash in her mouth. "There were complications. Things I couldn't control." "Like what?" He reached across the table, catching her hand. "Tell me. Maybe I can help." Rory pulled away, heart racing. She couldn't tell him. Couldn't risk dragging him into her world of shadows and secrets. "It doesn't matter now. It's in the past." Brendan sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I never stopped loving you, you know. Even after all these years." The confession hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken longing. Rory's throat tightened. "Brendan, I..." "Don't." He held up a hand. "Don't say it if you don't mean it. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime." She wanted to reach for him, to bridge the gap that seven years had created. But she couldn't. Not without risking everything she'd worked so hard to build. "I should go," she said, standing abruptly. "It was good to see you, Brendan. Take care of yourself." She turned and walked away, not daring to look back. She could feel his gaze on her, a physical weight pressing down on her shoulders. As she pushed through the crowd toward the door, she heard him call her name. But she didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Outside, the night air hit her like a slap. She leaned against the brick wall, trying to catch her breath. Her heart felt like it was trying to beat its way out of her chest. She'd changed. They'd both changed. But some things, it seemed, never did. The past had a way of sneaking up on you when you least expected it. And now, Rory knew, she'd have to face it head on. Whatever the cost.