There he stood: all muscular limbs and sandy blonde hair with streaks of sun-kissed gold leftover from sweltering summer days. Swarms of students bobbed around the decked-out tables, blocking her view of him, but she craned her neck to glance at the easy way he interacted with his peers. Disbelief and panic flooded her bones at the sight of his blonde head and friendly smile.

Fall took over the town; cool breezes replaced stale heat, knit sweaters replaced tank tops with bathing suits underneath, and student club tables replaced Charlotte’s favorite summer reading spot. 

Charlotte’s shoes froze to the grass and crunchy multicolor leaves underneath them. She gaped at him as he handed flyers to boys who looked like they belonged over at the fraternity tables. The soccer teams’ table was set up right next to where she was headed, the music table. 

Whoever he talked to always had his full attention; he had a way about him that made people feel like they were the most important being in the universe. The way he talked to the kid in front of him made her stomach clench. She swallowed a lump prying its way up her throat and pivoted quickly down the aisle of tables and displays. She waited a minute or two, pretending to read through a flier on the accounting society table. 

“Miss Charlotte Waite,” said that all-too-familiar voice from behind, making her jump. 

She winced before turning slowly to face a version of Noah Kinsley that she had yet to witness. Up close, she noticed how mature he looked. His face, a smooth plane of gorgeous tanned skin dotted with that array of freckles she used to trace her fingers along. The once scrawny, glasses-wearing teenager she once knew was a fragment of what stood before her. However, that same big dumb grin on his face scorched her heart, melting her soul into liquid. 

“Noah. What are you doing here? I thought you were graduating last spring,” she said. 

“Well you thought wrong. I was actually missing some requirements, so I’m here for another year,” he paused, “I thought you would’ve heard from your friends or something.” 

Her heart lurched in her chest. She pulled the sleeves of her cardigan down over her goosebump-covered arms.

“Oh,yeah, no one told me. Alright, well it’s nice to see you Noah, ” she said and spun around. 

He grabbed her wrist with that gentle touch, sending electric shocks up her entire arm, as if she touched a lighting bolt. He spun her around. 

“Lunch tomorrow at the diner, 1:00,” he told her rather than asking. 

Her head whirled. 

“Noah I don’t think tha-” 

“1:00, Char,” he said. 

She winced at the sound of that nickname before lamely agreeing to meet him. 

She found herself the next day sitting in a booth wearing a white sweater and her mom jeans. She darkened her lashes slightly with a touch of mascara and her blonde curls tumbled down her back. She had already said hello to Mrs. Julie, Noah’s mother, whom she knew from the age of seven. The sweet smell of syrup and waffles wafted past her. She drummed her fingers on the orange table cloth. A few dollar store pumpkins decorated each table. 

The bell above the door rang, the sight of Noah causing a shiver to creep down her spine. He grinned with that sweet shyness he had as soon as he caught sight of her. Regret flooded through her; she contemplated getting up and walking out. 

“Well, look who showed up,” he said as he slid into the booth. 

“Noah, you didn’t give me much of a choice,” she said coldly. 

He opened his mouth, clamped it shut, then shook his head. His curls danced across his forehead. 

“Listen, not talking to you for these four years of college have been torture, Char. I know I messed up in high school, but we were just kids. I made a mistake. You know I’d do anything to undo that night, right?” 

“Noah, I’ve heard all of this before. Why did you insist on meeting me today? Just to torture me or what?” she said, feeling heat rise on her cheeks. 

He stared at her for a few seconds. 

“I wanted to tell you the truth about that night,” he paused, “I tried to call you so many times but you didn’t want to hear it.” 

She was silent. Dishes clanking and people chattering filled the space around them. 

He looked at her expectantly but kept going. 

“I still don’t know what you saw because I was so drunk, but I swear– and Kev and Jake can still back me up. I did not cheat on you with Lilly, it just looked bad. I promise, Char, I would have never hurt you like that.” 

She felt frustrated tears prick the backs of her eyes. Charlotte’s thoughts and memories were so jumbled that she did not know what to believe. Moments of that night, seeing Lilly drunkenly sprawled out over Noah, watching him kiss her, flashed through her brain like lightning. She spent six years repressing that sight, and here it was again. 

“You hurt me, whether you meant to or not, Noah. I don’t know what you want from me,” she said. 

His whiskey colored eyes bore into hers. 

“I want you to give me another chance,” he pleaded.