Meet Me After Class

Chapter 61: One Year!

I shuddered slightly at the memory of Belle's teasing words. Hopefully, just a light lunch between old friends and nothing more complicated lay ahead.

Just as I had grabbed my purse and was psyching myself up to head out the door, my phone rang. It was my mom letting me know she'd left her car keys on the hook by the door for me to use to drive to Pete's. Dad had dropped her off at work, so I'd have the car. I smiled, appreciating their thoughtfulness.

I took a deep, steadying breath as I turned the key in the ignition.

Just a friendly lunch, I told myself. No reason for my armpits to be inexplicably damp or my hands to have a death grip on the steering wheel. It was just Adam. We used to spend every day together laughing over anything and arguing over my favorite books and his comic books. This should be easy, breezy fun.

Somehow my self-pep talk did little to loosen the knots in my stomach as I pulled into Pete's parking lot fifteen minutes later, my heart drumming against my ribs. I didn't let myself hesitate before getting out of the car, knowing that if I waited even two seconds, I'd lose my nerve.

Suddenly, as I approached Pete's entrance, my wedges seemed unnaturally heavy. Great.

Through the windows, I immediately spotted the familiar shape of Adam's head bent over a menu in the corner booth. Butterflies erupted when I registered the slope of those shoulders, the ends of that dark brown hair at the nape of his neck...

It felt surreal to see him her after all this time apart.

I faltered slightly, wondering wildly if I should pretend I got the day wrong and bail. Too late—Adam glanced up at the tinkle of the entry chimes, meeting my petrified gaze through the glass. A surprised smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. My stomach flipped despite all efforts to stay neutral.

Okay, Wendy, I coached myself, blowing out a breath. Nowhere to go but inside. It was time to see if unfriendzoning was really on the cards after all these years.

I slowly approached the booth, my nerves making each step feel surreal. As I got closer, I couldn't believe the changes two years had made. Adam looked like a man now. His warm chestnut hair was slightly longer, an artful mess of waves. His jawline was more chiseled, and I detected just a hint of stubble. His eyes were still a piercing blue-green.

I must have been gawking because Adam blew out a short laugh and gestured for me to sit. "It's just me, Wendy. Still just Adam," he said gently.

I slid into the booth, feeling myself blush. "I know, I know...you just look so...different," I finished lamely.

"Wow," he breathed out, his words laced with a mix of nostalgia and surprise. "You look... amazing. Has it really been... like, two years?"

"Can you believe it? The last time we actually talked was right after graduation...

"Yeah...that..." he mumbled.

Well, cue the facepalm! There I go, unintentionally resurrecting the ghosts of New York past. Note to self: next time, steer clear of nostalgia-induced foot-in-mouth situations.

An awkward beat passed until we both rushed to fill it at the same time.

"How was your flight—"

"Nepal must've been—"

We both clamped our mouths shut, chuckling self-consciously. Why was this so hard? I guess two years apart didn't just disappear over vegetable soup and a basket of breadsticks.

"You first," Adam prompted politely. Some things didn't change.

"Oh, uh, I was just going to ask about Nepal. That had to be incredible." I tugged on my ponytail, my hands sweating, feeling the nervous teenager that I used to be.