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Chapter 3 - Chapter 3

Maya spent the rest of the day unpacking, but her mind was elsewhere. Every time her phone buzzed, her heart jumped. She kept thinking about Leo's words: "I never stopped loving you." Part of her wanted to believe him, but another part remembered the pain of their breakup.

That evening, Sarah called again.

"So? How did it go with Leo?"

Maya sighed, putting her phone on speaker as she folded clothes.

"It was… confusing. He said he's back in the city for good. And he wants to see me again."

"And how do you feel about that?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know. Part of me is happy. But what if things go wrong again? Last time, it hurt so much."

"Maybe he's changed," Sarah said gently. "People do, you know."

"Or maybe I'll just get hurt again," Maya replied softly.

Later that night, Maya was scrolling through old photos on her phone. Pictures of her and Leo at the beach, laughing. Celebrating birthdays. Cooking together in her old apartment. They looked so happy. But photos don't show the whole story. They don't show the arguments, the lonely nights, the tears.

Her phone lit up with a new message. It was Leo.

"I know this is sudden. But would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Maya's first instinct was to say no. To protect herself. But then she remembered his smile at the coffee shop. The way he listened to her. The hope in his eyes.

She took a deep breath and typed:

"Okay. Dinner sounds nice."

Almost instantly, he replied:

"Great! I'll pick you up at 7."

The next day, Maya found herself standing in front of her closet again. She wanted to look nice, but not like she was trying too hard. She finally chose a simple blue dress. It felt like her, but a little more special.

At 7 p.m., the doorbell rang. Maya opened the door to find Leo standing there, holding a small bouquet of flowers. Her favorite—white lilies.

"You remembered," she said, surprised.

"Of course I did," he said with a soft smile.

They went to a quiet Italian restaurant they used to love. The same place where they celebrated their first anniversary. The owner, an old man named Giuseppe, recognized them and smiled warmly.

"It's been a long time," he said. "Welcome back."

They ordered their favorite dishes—lasagna for Maya, chicken parmesan for Leo. For a while, they talked about small things. Work, friends, movies they'd seen. It felt comfortable, like slipping into a favorite old sweater.

But then Leo grew quiet. He looked down at his plate, then back at Maya.

"I need to be honest with you, Maya. About why I left."

Maya's heart tightened. This was the conversation she had been both dreading and wanting.

"I was scared," he said. "Scared of how much I loved you. Scared of failing you. When I got that job offer, it felt like an escape. But leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life."

Maya didn't know what to say. She had spent years thinking she wasn't enough. That he left because he didn't love her enough. But now he was saying it was because he loved her too much.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me," Leo continued. "I just want a chance to show you I've changed. That I can be the person you deserved all along."

Maya looked into his eyes and saw sincerity. And pain. The same pain she had carried for years.

When he drove her home, they sat in the car outside her apartment building.

"I had a really nice time tonight," Maya said.

"Me too," Leo replied. "Can I see you again?"

"Yes," she said. "I'd like that."

As she walked into her apartment, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Leo.

"Thank you for tonight. For giving me a chance."

Maya smiled as she read it. But as she got ready for bed, doubts crept in. Was she making the same mistake again? Letting him back into her life so easily?

She didn't have the answers. But for the first time in years, she felt hope.

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Questions for you:

What would you do if someone from your past wanted a second chance? Do you believe people can really change?

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