It had been a week since I'd seen Enzo, a whole blissful, glorious week. Not a single text, call or unwanted visit at the library.

I started to think maybe he meant what he said at the library, maybe the apology was real. Maybe Enzo had finally decided to let me go. It didn't matter, I was just glad.

But I also couldn't stop thinking. Maybe something happened. How was it possible that I hadn't seen him around town, even though he told me he bought a house here? Maybe he really was gone for good.

That was a nice thought.

I stood by my bedroom window, brushing my hair, smiling to myself.

Nathan had texted me half a dozen reminders about tonight, he wanted us to try out a new place that just opened. Nothing fancy, he said. Just dinner and some quality time.

I told myself that was all I needed right now. Laughter, peace and someone who didn't make my heart feel like it was always running a race. Not someone whose very presence made me act wild and reckless.

By the time Nathan picked me up, I was determined to have a good night. No tension, no secret, no dark haired, suit wearing man from the past. Just dinner with the man I loved.

The restaurant was elegant, all glass, filled with so many plants it felt like a garden, soft lighting, jazz playing low in the background and cute little lights on each table. In that moment, I realized why Nathan was so excited to come here. I couldn't wait to try the food.

When Nathan reached for my hand across the table, brushing his thumb over mine, I smiled.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he said. "Just us."

"Yeah," I replied, still smiling. "Just us. And this place is so beautiful. I love it, we totally have to come again."

"I'm glad you like it, I knew you'd enjoy the garden vibe they've got going on," he replied, smiling that half smile that made his dimple pop.

All seemed well in the universe in that perfect moment.

Until it wasn't.

I caught his scent before I even saw him seconds later. It felt like someone pressed an invisible hand against my ribs, stealing half the air from my lungs. How was he still using the same perfume after all these years? It's strange how a memory can hit you out of nowhere, just because of a perfume. How something so small could drag you years back in seconds. It was unfair how memory worked, it didn't ask for permission before hitting you in the chest.

For a second, the restaurant blurred around me, replaced by another night, another table, his hand covering mine as we planned a future that burned out too fast.

And there he was, tall, composed, smirking, walking straight towards our table.

He was dressed in gray shirt, no tie, top button undone. He looked like he just stepped out of a Vogue magazine, moving like he owned the place. I reminded myself I hated him and had to stop looking.

Too late. Nathan followed my gaze.

"Elena?"

Before I could answer, Enzo stopped beside our table. "Elena," he said smoothly, his voice deep enough to draw glances from nearby tables. "Looking beautiful tonight, as always."

Of course,

Of all the restaurants in the city.

"Hi," I replied, forcing my face to remain neutral, trying not to show how much I wanted to kick him in the nuts right now, standing there looking smug. "You're... uh, you're here."

"Clearly." he said, a hint of amusement on his face.

Well, at least one of us finds this funny.

Nathan stood, extending a hand to him. "Hi, I'm Nathan Osborne. Elena's fiance."

For a split second, I thought I saw something in Enzo's eyes, but it passed so fast I couldn't tell what it was. Then he smiled, shook Nathan's hand firmly and said, "Enzo Wayne. Elena's husband."

The silence felt loud, even the jazz sounded so faraway, as if the entire restaurant paused to listen. The words landed like a punch.

I could see Nathan's body go rigid, his jaw tighten. Now would be a prefect time for the ground to open up so I could disappear quietly. I felt awful. Nathan didn't deserve any of this.

Enzo released Nathan's hand as if nothing had happened. "Didn't mean to intrude," he said. " I just saw my wife across the room and she looked stunning. I thought I should say hello. It's not a crime to talk to my wife, is it?"

Oh, Lord. He just had to go there, he was really asking for it.

"Enzo," I said quietly. "We're here on a date and would like to be alone. I'd appreciate it if you'd..."

"Of course," he cut in, the smile gone. "Enjoy dinner with your friend." He said, then turned to leave.

As if that wasn't enough, halfway to the VIP section, he looked back.

"Oh, and in case you were wondering," he added casually, "I'm just having a business dinner with those two gentlemen over there. So you don't assume I'm with a woman."

Then he winked, actually winked.

He walked away, calmly, like he hadn't just blown up my night.

Nathan sat quietly, looking at his empty glass of wine. When he finally spoke, I could hear the anger in his voice.

"Your ex is Enzo Wayne?

I nodded slowly. I hated the guilt I felt, like I'd just been caught doing something wrong even though I hadn't done anything at all.

"As in the Enzo Wayne of Wayne Industries?" His voice rose. "And you didn't think that was worth mentioning?"

"I can't even refer to him as your ex," he went on. "He's still your husband."

"Nathan, please. It wasn't...

"It was," he cut in. "That man just walked up here, called you his wife and you didn't even flinch. He clearly has no intention of signing those divorce papers, Elena. You really think this is over?"

"I'm sorry." I replied shakily. "I didn't want you to..."

"To what?" Nathan's eyes were full of hurt. "Feel like I'm being toyed with by some billionaire who thinks this is a game?"

I reached for his hand, but he pulled it back. The rejection hurt so bad, like a slap across the face.

"I just..." I exhaled loudly. "I didn't want him to be part of my life anymore. I didn't want him to define us."

Nathan laughed bitterly. "Well, too late. From what I just saw, he's not signing those papers anytime soon. He's enjoying this way too much, making me look like a fool."

"I love you." I said quietly. "He doesn't matter. He just... enjoys getting under my skin. That's all."

"Yeah, well, he's doing a damn good job."

"It's only a matter of time before he's out of our lives for good, I promise. Let's just go, okay? We can get out of here."

Nathan looked at me like he didn't believe a word before nodding.

As we got up to leave, I glanced across the restaurant. Enzo was at his table, leaning back, toying with his wineglass and looking right at me. I had a feeling he'd been watching me the whole time.

And when he raised his glass slightly, like a toast, I knew exactly what it meant.

Round one was over.

And he won this round.

The lilies arrived at ten in the morning, a few hours after I arrived at the library.

Maya called me over with that nosy look she gets whenever something exciting happens at the front desk.

" There's a delivery for you," she said and somehow I already knew who it was from.

I took the bouquet, the soft white petals brushing against my fingers, then opened the small card attached. It had just two words; "Remember this?"

Those two words had enough power to drag me backwards through time.

To memories I had shoved in the deepest corners of my heart.

I remembered exactly the first time he bought me flowers. He had no money then. He'd walked into that tiny flower shop on Warwick avenue because I mentioned lilies were my favorite. He came back with the littlest bouquet he could afford. Then, he went down on one knee, nervous and awkward, pulling his hands in and out of his pockets before finally pulling out the tiny ring.

"I know it's not much," he'd said, " but I can't wait another day to ask you. Will you marry me, Elena? Will you make me the happiest man alive? I promise to love you forever."

When I said yes, he smiled, the biggest smile I had ever seen on him, then he looked sad.

"You deserve so much more," he said. "I should have proposed with a diamond. Get you a house... I'm going to do all of that for you, even if i have to work myself to the bone. I'm going to make so much money and give you the life you deserve. I promise, Elena."

I touched his cheek and said, "I don't care about any of that, okay? You could have proposed with a plastic ring and I'd still say yes. I love you. Always."

He smiled then and held on to me like he would never let go.

We walked to the diner to celebrate, sat at our favorite corner booth, ordered burgers and shared a milkshake from the same glass with two straws, making plans for a future we couldn't see. For a moment, it felt like we had everything.

I blinked, dragging myself back to the present but the memory stayed with me.

I placed the flowers on the corner table and tried to shake off the memory as I went about my day. Kids came in talking about costumes for storyfest, Mrs. Lyon returned another batch of historical romance novels and everything seemed normal again. I could almost pretend the lilies hadn't arrived at all.

Then, Nathan walked in smiling, the storyfest banner I asked him to pick up tucked under his arm. He looked happy, like he always did when helping me.

"Who sent those?" he asked, nodding toward the lilies.

I sighed. "Just someone."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. Of course he knew exactly who it was.

Before I could stop him, he picked up the card and read it aloud. "Remember this?"

He looked at me. " What's this about? What does it mean?"

I tried to keep my voice steady. "Just a thing. Not even sure I remember."

He squeezed the card. "Hmm, really? Are you sure?"

I could tell the question was not just about the flowers. He wanted to know whether I'd kept pieces of my life from him.

And the truth was... I had.

Not out of love.

But because some memories belonged to me, my first flowers, the proposal, the diner celebration. I didn't want to share them or explain them. Not because they belonged to Enzo but because they belonged to me.

Nathan read the words on the card again like it would magically change. "I know this is just another stunt, you need to ignore him so he doesn't get encouraged."

"He...he doesn't need encouragement, I said softly. "Enzo does whatever he wants. He'll do what he pleases without caring how it affects anyone."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. I'll talk to him. Man to man. Make him see reason. Maybe get him to sign the papers, I'll sort this."

"No," I said immediately.

He blinked. "What do you mean 'no'? Everytime I offer help, you say 'let me handle it'..."

"I know," I said, trying to keep my voice low, "and I love you for it, Nathan. But this..this is mine to finish. You don't know Enzo, if you step in, he'll twist it. He'll make it about you and he'll enjoy it." I could see Nathan getting angrier by the minute. "Please, don't."

He stared at me like he wanted to argue. Instead he said, "we agreed you'd move in with me once we got engaged. I think it's time. Show him how serious you are,"

My stomach dropped. "I don't think we should do that right now. With everything... With Enzo, it feels.." I searched for the right words. "I think we should wait."

He cut me off. "I love you, Elena, I really do, but this whole Enzo drama is pissing me off. It seems like you still care about his feelings. I don't want to believe that, but from what I'm seeing..."

"Nathan,"

He didn't let me finish.

The type of anger on his face was something I'd never seen before. He tossed the storyfest banner on the table and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

I stood there, stunned. Even the lilies on the table looked like they were judging me.

"Elena!" Judy's voice snapped me out of my pity party. She and Olive walked in, both wearing the same expression that told me they'd seen Nathan storm out angrily on their way in.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked, hugging me before I could answer. Olive gave me a tight hug without saying a word.

"I brought some stuff," Judy announced excitedly. "Stickers, the face paint kit...don't worry, everything for storyfest is sorted." Judy's way of fixing things was legendary.

Olive looked at the lilies, then laughed.

"Girl, the way the group chat has been going off, and seeing how Nathan stormed out of here, I already know who those lilies are from. You told us this was crazy, but this is a full blown telenovela."

I let out a short laugh, Olive could make me laugh even while I was ugly crying. "Of course. Wouldn't be Maplewood without drama."

They hugged me again. Judy got into arranging the lilies like it was the most important task. Olive teased me about keeping secrets, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

We got busy sorting out items for storyfest while they updated me up on workplace drama and the usual Maplewood gossip. For a little while, the guilt eased like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

But when that relief faded, the hurt came in. Nathan had left angry and I felt responsible. He didn't deserve that. He'd been kind and so patient.

If only that evil bastard would sign the papers and stop showing up everywhere like an unwanted rash.

It wasn't just about signing the divorce papers anymore. It was the house he bought in town, the investments, his sudden presence everywhere I turned. He was making himself unavoidable and I hated it.

It took a while before we finished, so we grabbed a late lunch on the library steps..sandwiches and gossip, the best combination. For a few minutes, the lilies, Enzo and Nathan's anger all faded into the background. Kids from storytime ran around. One kid in a spiderman mask shouted, "I'm superman" and ran past.

For a moment, life seemed normal.

After waving the girls goodbye, I got a text from Enzo,

"Did you remember? I hope you still like lilies.

I stared at the message.

I thought about the diner, proposal, the way his laugh used to make me smile too. I thought about Nathan, how hurt he'd looked when he left. And for a second, I wasn't sure why I'd kept that memory to myself, whether it was because I wanted to keep it to myself or because I didn't want to make Nathan angrier.

I convinced myself it had to be the second option. It had to be. If it wasn't, then I had to get my brain checked, because I couldn't afford to show that kind of tenderness to Enzo.

I ignored the text, slid the phone into my pocket and walked into the library where the lilies waited like a question I didn't have an answer to.

I had tossed the card that came with the lilies and left the bouquet at the library, but somehow the words still echoed in my head and the memory attached to it kept replaying like a movie.

I ran a hand through my hair as I walked round the kitchen, thinking of how to finally get Enzo off my back. I'd avoided calling Nathan all evening because I had no idea what to say. The look on his face earlier at the library still made me feel guilty.

Eventually, I finally grabbed my phone, scrolled to Enzo's number, and hesitated for a full five seconds before I hit the call.

It rang and rang. I was about to hang up when he picked up.

"Hello love."

"Stop messing with me, Enzo," I snapped. "No more dropping by the library. No more flowers. This has to stop."

"I'm just trying to get what's mine," he said quietly.

"What's yours?" I asked. "You keep saying that, but I don't have anything that belongs to you."

He stayed quiet, then in that deep voice of his..

"You. You belong to me."

I closed my eyes, my heart racing for reasons I do not care for. "Stop living in the past, Enzo. Whatever we had, it's over. That's never going to happen again."

"What did I do to you that was so wrong?" he asked, the amusement gone now. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you," I said. " I did..years ago. But I've moved on and you should too. Save us both this headache. Sign the papers and get out of my life for good this time."

He went quiet for so long I thought the line had disconnected. Then he said softly, "All I did was try to build something for us."

"Not this again," I murmured.

"I've been waiting for you," he continued. "Thinking you couldn't stay mad at me forever. You didn't date anyone for five years, I knew you were waiting for me too."

My grip on the phone tightened. "I do not like the fact that you kept tabs on me. That's creepy, unhealthy and beyond arrogant, even for you."

He laughed bitterly. " You should at least hear me out. Give me a chance to make you see things differently. Meet me, Elena. Tomorrow. Corner diner. I promise I'll behave."

I hesitated, then realized it was better to get it over with. "Fine. But after that, don't call me again."

The next evening, I headed straight to the diner right after leaving the library. The place was alive, the clatter of plates and the smell of coffee. I saw Enzo near the window, waving me over.

He was dressed in black shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, looking all casual. He looked like someone who spent half his week in the gym, not behind a desk signing contracts.

"You look tired," he said as soon as I sat.

"I didn't come here for small talk."

He looked at me for a long time, his face unreadable. "You don't love him, Elena. I know that and you know it too."

I rolled my eyes. "You're acting crazy."

"Maybe." he said, leaning forward. "But I know you. You still think about me. You still remember."

"Don't flatter yourself. I remember the lies. The broken promises. The other women. The times you conveniently forgot you had a wife. How you chose money over me, over our marriage, over everything. Should I keep going? Because trust me, I remember plenty."

He exhaled. "I've made mistakes. I thought if I could build something, make something of myself, I could give you the life you deserved. I see now I was wrong, I should've done things differently. But I can fix it. Just give me one more chance."

"One more chance?" I laughed softly. "You really have some nerve."

For a moment, I could see a glimpse of the man I once loved, before it vanished behind that unreadable mask.

He leaned forward. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way then." He stood, dropped a few hundred dollar bills under his cup. "I'll be in touch, Mrs. Wayne,"

"Don't call me that," I snapped, but he was already walking away.

By the time I got home, I realized the truth, Enzo wasn't going anywhere. He was back.

I tried calling Nathan but it went straight to voicemail. Minutes later, a text came in.

I don't want to talk right now. I'll call tomorrow.

I stared at the message, I felt bad knowing Nathan was still angry and I couldn't even fault him.

I dropped my phone on the couch, leaned back and stared at the ceiling. My mind refused to settle. Enzo's voice echoed again and again, like I hadn't already spent years trying to get him out of my mind.

I tried sleeping, but sleep wouldn't come.

Instead, my mind drifted back to a time before everything went wrong. Before pride. Before the broken promises. Before Enzo turned into someone else.

Back to our wedding night.

It was ridiculous now that I thought about it.

Completely ridiculous.

Not the perfect, glamorous type people post about online. No roses on the bed or candlelit hotel suites. We were too broke for that. Too young . Too in love to care.

We checked into a tiny lodge with ugly wallpapers and a bed that squeaked everytime we moved. The elderly owner gave us a wink that made me want to bury my face in Enzo's chest.

We had spent the whole day dancing, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. But the moment we stepped into the room, everything crashed at once.

I was still in my wedding dress, laughing because Enzo couldn't figure out how to get the window open and kept saying, "This thing is older than my grandfather."

He finally got it open on the third try, letting a cool breeze rush in. Then he turned around and whatever joke I'd been about to make died instantly.

He looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Like he couldn't decide whether to fall at my feet or lift me onto the bed.

"Come here," he said, pulling me in by the waist.

Then the zipper of my dress got stuck.

Not halfway down. Right at the top, just wouldn't budge.

"Don't move," Enzo said behind me, sounding far too confident for a man who had zero experience with wedding gowns.

"I'm not moving," I said, already sweating. "You're pulling my hair."

"That's because your hair is everywhere."

"Well, that's because you're pulling it!"

He said something else that I didn't quite catch.

Then, I heard a rip. A loud riiip.

I gasped. "Lorenzo!"

"Okay, okay," he said quickly. "Good news and bad news."

"Oh my God. Which one first?"

"Good news, it's open."

"And the bad news?!

"...It's very open."

I turned around so fast I nearly fell. "Enzo! You ripped my wedding dress!"

He started laughing then, that absolutely gorgeous laugh that used to melt every bit of common sense I had.

"You're unbelievable," I said, trying not to smile.

"You married Mr. unbelievable," he replied, pulling me to him. "Too late to complain now."

The kiss started slow, soft then deepened quickly as we pulled at each other's clothes. His hands slid along my back making me shake with desire.

I remember him whispering, "Tell him you're mine,"

And I whispered it back, breathless.

Everything after that was clumsy, perfect, beautiful and a little ridiculous.

We couldn't stop laughing because the bed kept creaking.

At one point, Enzo paused, looked down at me and said,

"Babe, do you think we're going too hard? I think the bed is judging us."

I laughed so hard the bed creaked again, making him laugh too and then neither of us could breathe because we were kissing and laughing at the same time.

He moved with so much tenderness, like he wanted to mark every inch of me. His mouth traced my shoulder, my neck, his tongue was in my ear. My hands in his hair.

We made love like we had all the time in the world.

Afterward, I lay on his chest, our fingers intertwined, his heartbeat slow and steady against my ear as he traced circles on my arm.

"We're going to have a beautiful life, you and me." He whispered

And for a while...that was true.

We were happy. So happy.

Before the late nights started.

Before the contract and deals and "just one more meeting."

Before the "business trips" that lasted days...then weeks.

Before I met a new version of him, the one that came home tired, distracted, smelling like someone else's perfume.

I felt a sharp ache in my chest at the memory, pulling me back into the present, into my dark room and the weight sitting heavily in my chest.

That night had felt like a beginning.

I had no idea it would be the highest point of our marriage before the fall neither of us saw coming.

I learned something no one tells you;

That sometimes love isn't enough.