Author Note: Song Prompt for this chapter - Don't Forget About Me, performed by Simple Minds

Rick

Rick squinted his eyes against the glare of the afternoon sun as he noticed an approaching car. He slowly climbed down the ladder, on which he had been perched for over an hour, scraping off old paint from the bedroom windows. As the car got closer, he recognized the familiar make and color.

He wiped his hands on his jeans, a deep frown burrowing between his brows as he waited on the porch steps. He cursed silently at his pounding heart. He had not expected to see Sarah again.

The car stopped, and she got out. He inhaled at the sight of her in her white floral sundress. Several locks of hair danced in the light breeze that swirled through the valley.

"Hello, Rick. Can we talk?"

He blinked. "Hey, yeah, yeah, sure. Come on in. Coffee?"

"You don't have anything stronger, do you?"

He shook his head as she passed him into the house. "No, I have sworn off the drink. At least, for now. Gotta keep the sobriety for working, you know."

She turned to him and gave him a dazzling smile. "Then coffee would be perfect. Thank you."

*

Sarah

Sarah took a seat at the kitchen table and watched Rick as he busied himself with making them coffee. She knew this was unexpected, and in hindsight, she should have called if she had his number. But, then again, her courage might have failed her, and she would have continued on the road instead of taking the turn off towards the house.

"I owe you an apology, Rick," she said as he handed her a cup. "For the other day and, well, for everything."

"You don't owe me anything, Sarah."

She smiled. "I knew you would say that. But I do. You didn't deserve what I did to you, and that is on me. And I just wanted, no, needed to say I'm sorry. Things could have been different if only-"

"Is this the only reason why you came here today? To apologize? Because, honestly, Sarah. It's been a while, and it's all water under the bridge, as they say."

Sarah's hand tightened on her cup, and her heart constricted. He was harsh and cold, and she could not blame him.

"No, I wanted to thank you for the journals and the letters." She pulled on her lip as she noticed he was not even looking at her, but at something on the wall behind her.

"No need. Look, Sarah, you could have just called or-"

"I don't have your number." She knew it sounded stupid. She could have gotten his number from Matt or even left a message.

But she knew if she left town, she would never be coming back. And she had wanted to see him, just one last time.

"I wanted to see you, before-before I leave."

*

Rick

And there it was. She was leaving. She should have spared him the misery of confirming what he had known since the other day. She was going to leave, and he would never see her again. Last time, it had been easy to walk away. This time, he had to wait for her to go.

He would be damned if he was going to watch her leave. He had already done it more than once.

"Take care of yourself, Sarah. You-you deserve to be happy. Don't run, don't run away next time when someone offers it to you."

He turned to leave, but then froze when a hand wrapped around his forearm.

"Rick, please."

He closed his eyes; the crack of heartbreak in her voice stabbed him in the gut.

"I-I know I don't deserve another chance, and that is something I will regret for the rest of my life. But, if only you could, think about me sometimes. Don't...don't forget about me."

*