Second Chance With A Stranger[COMPLETE]

Prologue

"Adam."

Embarrassment didn't begin to describe the sickening emotion curling through her belly. Standing before her was the man she had foolishly chased most of her childhood. The absolute worst moments of her life as a teenager were engraved in her mind, her throwing herself foolishly at him knowing, all the while, that he had eyes for another. The worst thing, though? She couldn't even say she had really been in love with him.

His grey eyes blinked at her over the layouts he had been studying. She should have known, had she given it a passing thought, that the architect she was going to meet—the one Mr. Walsh—could be her childhood friend. Swamped by her schedule, however, thinking such thoughts required time she didn't have.

"Cassidy."

He stood up, looking taken aback and uncertain for a moment—she wasn't surprised. They had gone out briefly after her embarrassing persistence in high school, and he had even taken her to their high school prom, only to disappear later with the girl he was really in love with. And what had happened with the girl after— getting into a near fatal accident running away from God knew what—she didn't even want to think about it.

Warmth entered his expression and he reached forward to shake her hand. "How are you?" he asked formally, "It's good to see you again."

Although she had spent a great part of her life hanging around Adam, they had never been close, not really. Her mad pursuit to make him her boyfriend had made any real closeness impossible. She would have loved to say she wasn't like that anymore, that she didn't pursue the things she desired with a particular passion...but she would be lying.

Thankfully, her passions had never again extended towards acquiring a boyfriend.

"I'm good, I'm good." She said, hoping her cheeks weren't flushed with how hot they felt. She couldn't blame her childhood self for crushing over this guy—he had been damn fine then, but he was devastating now, having grown into his black haired, grey eyed good looks. Not to mention the kindness in his eyes that had made him different from boys even back then was still there. Odd though, that she felt barely affected by his presence, even though at one point the idea of him had consumed her with idealistic desires, "How's Gayle?" She bit her lip immediately. It had been over fifteen years, after all. They weren't in high school anymore. "Er...are you still together?"

Adam and Gayle had been so in love, her teenage heart had throbbed in envy. It hadn't been the kind of love one expected to see in high school. Instead of blazing and overt with exhibition, it had been something deeper, truer. Cassidy had always known her friend had a thing for his girl next door, and when they had finally fallen in love, they had been like magnets, attracted to each other by some invisible force, unable to look away.

It had been a slap in the face to have her pursuit of years to be cut off with such humiliating ease...but months, years later, she was relieved she hadn't made even more a fool of herself with him. Knowing her dedication, she didn't know how much longer she would have been at it, had they not fallen so blatantly in love in her senior year.

But that was ages ago. Could love really survive that long?

Adam's brilliant smile was the answer, transforming his handsome face so that he looked strikingly like his high school self once more. "Of course." The look on his face confirmed it. Their love really had survived—probably even grown over time.

Cassidy felt some of the residual throb of envy, this time combined with melancholy. It wasn't because she didn't have Adam, however...but just because she didn't have anyone.