Mason sauntered up to me at my locker the following day. "Well if it isn't my favourite library girl."

I looked around, convinced that he couldn't possibly be speaking to me. But, the vicinity was otherwise deserted with only a few students milling around further up the hallway.

His deep throaty chuckle reached my ears and I turned back to face him. "Yes, I'm talking to you, Di."

My heart fluttered at the fact that he had addressed me directly. Not only that, he had called me his favourite.

"What are you doing after school this evening?" His voice was soft and he glanced over his shoulder, almost as though he wanted to make sure no one was listening.

"I'm uh-," the honest answer would be to tell him that I was going home to binge watch The Vampire Diaries, while stuffing my face with any junk food I could get my hands on.

But there was no way in hell I was going to tell him that.

"-going to grab a coffee with me?" He finished my sentence for me.

Sometimes in life, there are moments that you know you are going to remember forever. No matter what happens in between, they stay with you. That was one for me.

Every detail is etched so perfectly in my mind. I can close my eyes and I am transported back to that day in the school hallway. The sound of lockers slamming and the distant chatter of fellow students as they went about their day. The way the sunlight shone through the windows and caught in his hair, making the colour seem almost golden as opposed to its usual light brown. His cerulean eyes searching my face as he waited for an answer.

Although to be honest, I would have bet my entire life's savings that he knew what it would be before I uttered the single word that would change my life.

"Okay."

When I left school that day I was so excited I could barely contain myself. I had a date with Mason Hayworth.

ME!

I wanted to shout a big 'screw you' to all the popular girls at the school. But I thought that might be getting a bit ahead of myself. Especially since, despite my excitement, I wasn't actually sure that what we were going on was a date at all.

Of course I told my best, and only, friend about it.

Hailee and I had grown up together. We were so entangled in each other's lives that she had become a part of my family. We had shared many things in the years we had known each other. Secrets divulged at sleepovers, hopes and dreams we were too scared to tell anyone else, in case we jinxed ourselves and they never came true.

Her reaction shocked me, to say the least.

"Are you sure you should go?"

My mouth dropped open as she said those words. Mason freaking Hayworth had asked me to go for coffee with him and she wasn't sure I should go? At the time, it felt like the strangest thing she had ever said to me.

"Of course I should," I insisted. Nothing was going to derail me from going to meet him. Not even my best friend's concern.

She clearly realised there was no point arguing with me, that nothing she could say would convince me not to go, and just shrugged slightly.

"Call me after." She blew me a kiss, still looking worried as she walked to her car.

Looking back, I can't help but wonder if, even then, she knew the havoc that Mason would wreak on my life.

I have to wait for about five minutes, cradling the phone to my ear as Hailee lets out a very impressive string of curse words. I decided to call her the day after my coffee date with Mason. As they say, rip the band aid off and get it over quickly.

I was now starting to regret it.

When she eventually runs out of rude words to call Mason, I speak again. "I think you're overreacting a bit Hails."

I think 'overreacting' is an understatement. But Hailee's always had a flair for dramatics, especially when her fierce protectiveness kicks in. 

She ignores me. "Please tell me you are joking D? Please tell me you did not go for coffee with the ass monkey that broke your heart! I thought you were well over him?"

Turns out she hadn't run out of insults for him.

"I am!" Liar. "I just thought it would be interesting."

"Interesting? Interesting? Salted caramel ice cream is interesting. The gossip pages in the magazine are interesting-,"

"I get it. So you don't approve then?"

Another bout of colourful expletives follows my question. "That's it, you clearly need a friend-tervention, I am coming home and I am going to kick him so hard in his groin area that his scrotum will-,"

"Calm down!" I interrupt, not really wanting to hear where the rest of that sentence was heading. "Hails, I love you to pieces, but I am a grown ass woman and I can take care of myself. I promise."

Even as I am saying the words, I am not so sure of them myself. Yes, it's been seven years since I started dating Mason, and six years since I have spoken to or seen him. But seeing him again has been a blast from the past, and I am not sure I can handle all the emotions that will inevitably come with this reunion.

I've barely managed to pull myself together from the last time.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she mutters darkly. "No matter what, just remember who you are now. You are smart, and brilliant and successful. And strong enough not to let a dick cheese like Mason Hayworth walk all over you."

I have to admit, I am pretty impressed by Hailee's extensive vocabulary. She must be picking up some new words in the Kitchen.

"I know."

Or at least I hope I do.

"And I am phoning Lex to keep an eye on you!" she insists.

"It's wedding season."

"Oh for fuck sakes!" she snarls. "Well just be careful, please. I'm coming in a couple of weeks and I expect to see you happy and healthy and NOT heartbroken!" There's a slight pause. "Or else," she threatens.

"I love you too Hails," I chuckle.

She hangs up the phone but not before muttering 'I'm going to kill that fucker,' under her breath. And, I know without a doubt, that I was meant to hear it.

Well, at least she was subtle about it.

♡

The flowers arrive on our doorstep, not long after I get home from work. The delivery man's face is almost hidden by the bouquet. A big beautiful bunch of red roses, tied with a white satin bow. The card on them says:

Thanks for a wonderful evening. Can't wait to do it again.

I squeal with delight as I carry them through to the kitchen and start snipping off the ends so they can fit into our vase. The fragrant smell invades my nostrils and crimson petals land on the counter.

Mason has never given me flowers before. To me, that seems to be a sign of growth, that maybe he has changed after all these years.

Loving Mason had never been my downfall. It was the fact that I let him control me, tell me what to do and walk all over me that had caused me so much pain. Well that and the epic break-up speech he gave me.

But it's been years. And yes, the shock of seeing him again had me falling back into old habits. But from here on out, I can control myself and not moon over the boy he once was.

Or the man he's become.

Since the day High school finished, I have wondered many times, about what it would be like to see Mason again. I had envisioned in my head that I would be cool, calm and collected. I would show him that I am a composed and accomplished twenty-four-year-old woman now and he can't just walk all over me anymore. That went out the window after our coffee date.

Well done Diana, way to show him that you are not over him.

But maybe I can turn this whole thing around, show him that I am a different person now than I was back then. And not just because I 'look different' as he so eloquently put it.

Maybe it's time to channel my inner Alexa.

I walk through to my room to get my phone to send Mason a thank you message. But, as I pick it up I realize I already have a text from him.

Mason: Did you get them yet?

Me: Yes, thank you so much, they are lovely.

Mason: Cool. Meet me at seven tomorrow night. I'll send directions.

My good mood sours quickly. I can't help but notice that he has phrased it more as a command than a question. But I mentally shake myself for being over sensitive. Did the man never hear of the word 'please'?

I'm sure he didn't mean it that way.

Or maybe he did and I am just one step away from repeating all my past mistakes, despite all my best intentions.

Telling myself not to read too much into it, I pick up my book on Abnormal Behaviour and start to study.

The irony of my reading material is not lost on me.