Sitting across from Ben at the little Main Street diner filled Chase with so much nostalgia that he couldn’t stop smiling. They’d only been there for a few minutes, and his cheeks were already starting to hurt.

For whatever reason, Chase had been nervous as hell. The closer it got to the time he was supposed to meet Ben, the more his stomach insisted on tying itself in knots.

But now? Watching Ben look up from the old, familiar menu and give him a curious smile—a smile that Chase could still read perfectly after all those years—made him wonder why he’d been even a little bit nervous.

“It feels sort of weird to be back here, doesn’t it?” Ben asked, finally. “Like this, I mean. With you here and… everything.”

Chase nodded. “A good kind of weird, though. Feels like old times, honestly.” He looked around, taking his eyes off Ben for the first time since they had arrived. “Hey, does Peggy still work here?”

“Yeah,” Ben nodded toward the back. “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere. She’s gotta be like… I don’t even know. Ninety? But she looks exactly the same. And she’ll still cuss you out under her breath if you don’t order fast enough.”

Chase laughed. “That sounds like Peggy.”

And even if Ben’s assessment of her age might be a little exaggerated, Chase was pretty sure she had to at least be in her seventies. She’d been there since the place had opened, and Chase couldn’t imagine it without her.

She wouldn’t ever change, and that was a comforting thought.

As if she’d been summoned by their thoughts, Peggy appeared around the corner, shuffling over to their table with her characteristic scowl. “What’re you boys drinking?”

Chase barely stifled a grin as he looked up at her. Ben was right. She hadn’t changed a bit. “I, uh, think we’re both just gonna have coffee, ma’am.”

She squinted at him and the corners of her mouth twitched up into what might have been a smile. Then she looked over at Ben and grunted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the two of you in here. I’m glad you’re back. Fresh coffee, coming right up.”

Peggy walked away, and the expression on Ben’s face perfectly mirrored the shock Chase was feeling.

“Did you hear that?” Ben whispered. “She remembers us. And… she smiled.”

“I’m still trying to figure out if that really happened,” Chase said, laughing. “That was crazy. I’m pretty sure she hated us when we were kids.”

“What a difference a few years can make.” Ben started to laugh, but fell silent again as Peggy came back with the coffee.

She was just as brisk taking their food order, but Chase could still see a little hint of a smile and a certain sparkle in her eyes. Peggy really was glad to see them.

It was a little bit strange, but really nice, and went along perfectly with the vibe of the evening.

The best kind of weird.

Once it was just the two of them again, Chase turned his attention back to Ben. “So… how have you been? Tell me everything I’ve missed since the last time we talked.”

Ben gave him a skeptical look. “I don’t know if you’ve got that much time.”

“I’ve got all night. I’m not going anywhere.”

Ben smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time. Chase knew him well enough to know that there was plenty being left unsaid.

“It’s been sort of rough,” Ben said, finally. “I feel like I’m finally back to normal after losing my parents, but there are still plenty of times I’ll walk through the front door at home and have to remind myself that they aren’t there anymore.” He sighed. “And then… you know, it’s always just one thing after another with the ranch. I love the place, but… it’s a lot. It’s all a lot.”

They had both been reaching for the sugar at the same time, and when their hands brushed against each other, Chase took the opportunity to grab Ben’s hand. For a moment, he just held it there, looking into Ben’s eyes.

Chase could see the pain there, could hear it in every word Ben spoke. It hurt his heart that Ben was going through so much and there was basically nothing Chase could do about it—not to mention the fact that he hadn’t even known about it until now.

For someone who was supposed to have been his closest friend, Chase had done a shitty job of keeping in touch. And sure, each of them could have done better, but it sucked knowing he wasn’t around when Ben needed him.

“I’m so sorry, man,” Chase said, giving Ben’s hand a squeeze. “I wish I was able to have been here.”

Chase could tell that Ben was surprised by the sudden contact, but it felt good to be within reach of his friend after so long apart, and Chase was reluctant to let go.

“Thanks,” Ben said, his eyes darting between Chase’s gaze and his hand, reminding Chase that he still hadn’t let go. “There’s not really anything you—or anyone else, for that matter—could’ve done, though. I mean… that’s just the way life goes sometimes, right?”

“It’s not the way life is supposed to go,” Chase said, shaking his head. “Nobody should have to go through what you and your brother have already experienced. And then some of the things I’ve seen… We’re not even thirty years old, for God’s sake.”

Chase hadn’t meant for the conversation to take such a dark turn, and he wasn’t really sure how to get things back on track. This was supposed to be a happy reunion. He certainly didn’t want to talk about the past if it was going to make either of them feel bad.

“Are you glad to be done with the Marines?” Ben asked. “Excited? Nervous about your new job?”

“Yeah,” Chase nodded. “All of the above. My unit, my guys, my friends there… that’s all I’ve known my whole adult life. And even though we went through some scary shit overseas, starting over is even scarier in some ways. But overall, I think I’m looking forward to it. It was time for a change, you know?”

“I hear that,” Ben said. “Sometimes a change of pace is good. Eric and I were just talking about that earlier, actually—what it might be like if things were different.”

Chase was surprised to hear that admission. For as long as he’d known Ben, the plan was that he would work on his family’s ranch until it was time to take it over from his parents. Unfortunately, that happened much sooner than anyone could have predicted.

But still, it was a pretty big shock to hear that Ben might even consider doing something else. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and Ben was a country boy. That’s just all there was to it.

That’s what Chase had always thought, anyway.

“And?” Chase asked, waiting for Ben to continue.

“And what?” Ben shrugged. “It’s not like it matters that much, right?”

“But you don’t think about what it might be like to just… get up and go? To just keep running until you’re out of gas or out of money or whatever?”

“I just don’t see what good it does to think about it… or even to get up and go.” Ben paused, as if he was trying to find the right words, but the look on his face just told Chase he was getting more and more frustrated. “And even if I did go—if I did get up and just started running—I’m pretty sure all of my problems would follow me. That’s just how it is.”

“Yeah,” Chase nodded. “I get that.”

He didn’t necessarily agree, but this wasn’t the time to say so. It was Ben’s life, after all, and Chase had been gone from it long enough that he wasn’t sure if he was even still entitled to voice an opinion.

Besides, he didn’t have a lot of time with Ben. He sure as hell didn’t want to spend the evening talking about things that were only going to upset both of them.

Across the table, Ben sat back in his seat and exhaled slowly. “Anyway, let’s talk about something more fun. Tell me some exciting stories from the Marines. Or about… whatever it is you’re going to be doing in New York.”

It was like he had read Chase’s mind. But then, it had always been like that with Ben. Back in high school, they finished each other’s sentences regularly, and could even go hours sometimes without saying much at all. They were just… comfortable. Happy. They understood each other, and Chase hadn’t found another friend like that.

He was pretty sure he never would.

It seemed like they had only just sat down and started talking when Peggy shuffled by and pointed to the clock on the wall.

“Closing time is in ten minutes, boys,” she said. “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

Chase looked at Ben and they both grinned.

Nope. She never would change.

Thank God.

They slowly got up and walked to the front counter to pay their bill. Each step felt heavy, and Chase was dreading saying goodbye. He wasn’t ready to leave, and he damn sure didn’t want this to be the last time they had a chance to hang out before he had to move away.

“I’m glad we did this,” Ben said, after they finished up at the register.

“Me, too,” Chase replied, smiling as he followed Ben out the front door.

“I’m parked down by the corner,” Ben said. “So, I guess—”

“I’ll walk you over there,” Chase interrupted, not ready to say goodbye yet. Even delaying it for a couple of extra minutes was better than nothing. “I was wanting to get some fresh air anyway.”

Not that he expected Ben to buy the flimsy excuse, but again—better than nothing.

“Do you think you’ll have time to get together again before you leave?” Ben asked. “No pressure, of course…”

“Yeah, definitely.” Chase nodded. “I’m glad you asked. I don’t really have too much planned for the rest of the time I’m here, so let’s make that happen.”

Knowing that Ben wanted to hang out again kept Chase’s smile going strong. It felt good that they still had enough in common that a whole night could go by in the blink of an eye, and that they were never in danger of running out of things to talk about.

Ben stopped when they got to the door of his pickup. “This is my truck… so I guess I’ll call you? Or you can call me?”

Chase nodded. “Yeah. I’ll call… or you can…”

He belatedly realized he was just repeating what Ben had already said, but whatever. There was something in Ben’s voice, something about the way Ben was standing there just a couple of feet away, those deep brown eyes full of emotions that, for once, Chase couldn’t quite make out.

It made Chase want to stop time, to keep talking, to just… go back to the way things were That Night, so many years ago, before Chase had moved away.

Before they had kissed.

His gaze dropped to Ben’s mouth, and when Ben’s lips parted, Chase took an involuntary step forward, until only a few inches remained between them.

Chase’s heart was beating so fast and loud that he was barely aware of any other sounds—except for one. He heard Ben’s breath hitch in his throat, and Chase knew they were both thinking about the same thing.

The same night.

The same kiss.

Chase leaned in closer, and something flashed in Ben’s eyes. It was gone so quickly that Chase wouldn’t have even noticed if he hadn’t been staring shamelessly. But it had been there. A look of disbelief or confusion or panic—something that wasn’t right, something that made Chase put on the brakes.

“I—I should go,” Ben reached behind him, fumbling for the door handle without turning away from Chase. “Thank you for tonight, but, um…” He swallowed hard. “Yeah. I should go.”

Chase shoved a hand back through his buzzed hair and exhaled loudly. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t even sure what just happened.

“Okay,” Chase said, finally, taking a step back to give Ben some room. “I’ll, uh, talk to you later.”

Ben hesitated for a split-second, still not breaking eye contact. For a moment, Chase hoped Ben might change his mind, that he might close the door to his truck and decide to stay for a few more minutes. That they might pick up again where they’d just left off—the same place they had left off eight years ago.

But it didn’t happen, just like it hadn’t happened back then.

Without another word, Ben looked away, then turned away to get in his truck. Then, with a wave so small that Chase almost missed it, he was gone.

“Fuck,” Chase muttered, as he watched the taillights disappear down the road. “Fuck.”

Why did this keep happening? Why did he feel so confused every time he was around Ben?

And why the fuck did he keep letting Ben get away?

Chase had more questions, but no answers.

All he knew for sure was that he was standing there alone, just like he’d ended up alone in his room eight years ago. For as much as they had both grown and changed, that feeling was exactly the same.

Chase was stronger now than he had been back then, though. Stronger, smarter, and more determined. And while he might have let Ben get away the last time, he had a small but definite chance to do things differently now.

It might still turn out the same way—he might still end up alone and cursing his foolish heart. But this time he was going to say something.

This time he was going to do something.