“I’m going to kill him.” I sound hoarse against the sudden dryness as I begin to move across the bar. I can hear the boys shouting after me as I go.

“Rook, get lost.” I pull at Rook’s shoulder. He stumbles before he looks at me as if I’m crazy.

“Oh Ruin, joining the party, eh? I didn’t know you liked to share.” He has the audacity to wink and it elevates my rage. Not that she notices of course. Her eyes are on me, widened with shock.

“Go find the others.” I turn to face him fully so he can read the sincerity in my eyes.

“No need for the dramatics.” He brushes me off with a laugh, stalking away with a false swagger. As I turn away from Rook, there she is.

Ellis Ainsley. My one that got away. Her dirty blonde hair is a lot shorter than it was a decade ago, but I already knew that. Following her on social media is an addiction; at least once a month I check to see how she is. I do it from an anonymous account, of course. Can’t have my ex knowing she still owns me when I shouldn’t be thinking about her at all. I do it to see if she is still as beautiful as I remember, but the camera hasn’t done her justice. Her hair is not the only thing that’s different. The woman before me now is a mother to a beautiful son; a business woman who owns her own florist, Bloom and Blossom, right in the city just like she dreamed. She’s older, too. Not that age hasn’t been kind to her, but I see the maturity in her. The small laugh lines that frame her eyes. Every little change makes her more beautiful than my fantasies remember.

“You’re a caveman, you know that?” Her British accent is still strong as she interrupts my perusal. She hides her surprise of seeing me behind a teasing smile.

“You’re beautiful, you know that right?” I push the conversation back to her. I am acting like a caveman but I want to know about her. How she has been.

“I do. Your friend was just telling me how beautiful I am, too.” She smiles.

“How’ve you been?” I ask. This isn’t the best place for this conversation, the music is loud and we have to lean in close to hear each other, but I revel in her proximity.