Page 57 of Falling For Us Again

She presses further. “Come on, Jenna, come with me. We’ll be together.”

I sigh, my hands falling to my sides in defeat.

And now, here I am, looking at faces I haven’t seen in over a decade, some familiar, others I don’t remember.

The old gym has been decked out in red and gold streamers, echoing the colors of our long-forgotten school pride. A banner hangs awkwardly over the entrance—Hartlow High Class of 2009 Reunion.

The energy is celebratory as old classmates troop in, shouting familiar names good-naturedly. But as I take in their faces, many still hanging on to the same cliques, it feels more like a strange time warp, a place where I don’t belong anymore, in fact never did.

Some called me weird and said nasty things about my family behind my back, as I pretended not to notice.

Thank God for Lola and Dylan. I don’t know if I would have survived without them.

Around me, people hug, shake hands, and exchange pleasantries, their words blending into a low buzz. I catch snippets of conversations about old high school memories, of marriages, breakups, and kids.

Some are dressed to impress, hoping to rekindle forgotten friendships, or flings, while others, like me, linger at the edges, unsure of how to fit into this version of Hartlow High.

I glance toward the dance floor, and there’s Lola—of course—twirling, laughing loudly as she spins in a circle with some guy I don’t recognize.

Her joy is infectious, and for a brief second, I’m glad she made me come. If nothing else, Lola deserves this happiness and I’ll do anything to see her like this.

I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I turn, expecting it to be one of the other alumni I vaguely remember, but my heart stutters when I see who it is.

Paul.

Dylan’s ex-best friend.

He stands there, hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. I blink, taken off guard by his presence.

Of all the people I expected to bump into tonight, Paul wasn’t one of them.

“Paul?”

“I was a hundred percent sure that there was no way it was you, Jenna, but it is.” He says, an incredulous look in his eyes.

He gives me a quick hug.

“My god, it is so good to see you, wow, you look amazing.”

“So good to see you too, Paul. It’s been so long.”

“How long has it been again?”

“Too long.” I laugh.

“Never thought I’d see you back in Hartlow. Especially not in any reunion.” His voice is teasing, but there’s warmth in it too.

I can tell he’s genuinely surprised and pleased to see me.

“I could say the same about you. What are you doing in town?”

He lets out a soft chuckle. “Same thing as everyone else, I guess. Reliving my glory days, catching up with old friends.”

I chuckle, knowing better.

"Okay, but you’ve got a much better excuse to be elsewhere. You know, the whole bestselling author thing.”

I shake my head, feeling a flush of heat creep up my neck. “I’m not—”

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