Yeah, I am back! First of all, thank you all for your feedback on the last chapter of Expressions of the Heart. It was definitely heartwarming to see all those positive messages! I hope this story will be just as great. So for those that are dying to know what happens next or didn't like the way things ended, here we go!


Let's face it - today was rough. She was exhausted and not in the mood for anything unexpected. Which was why she thought this was a dream. That she had fallen asleep and if she could get herself to wake up, he would not be here, right in front of her, with spilled coffee on his shirt.

It was December 4th. Finals were right around the corner; so was winter break. Parties were being held and she'd been invited to a fraternity down the street. Even now she was not the type to let loose, but every so often she found herself looking forward to it.

This day was a disaster from the start. She used body wash instead of conditioner and she nearly poked her eye out with the tip of her mascara brush. She burnt her bacon this morning, poured cream in her cereal, and to top it off, she was fifteen minutes late to class.

She had just wrapped up a modeling gig and was walking to the restaurant she did part time at to fill in for a friend. A hot beverage sounded delicious and she thought she would stop by and obtain one if the bistro wasn't too packed with people.

"I am so sorry. I didn't-"

"You need to watch where you're fucking going." She did not recognize his voice in that instant. She was more astounded by the tone this man had used. It was not as if she had bumped into him on purpose.

"Okay, if that's how it's-"

That's when she heard it. Her name, and not just her name. The nickname to her nickname he'd given her.

She looked different. Not the bad kind of different, but the best kind of different. The girl he knew in high school years ago has blossomed to the beautiful woman standing in front of him today. It was taking every ounce of strength he had to take his eyes off her.

"You look awesome," he finally said.

Still shocked, she does not respond.

Tony has never looked better and it is all she can think about.

But somehow she managed to get a few words out. "I'll pay-"

"No, it's alright." He looked down at his brown stained shirt and shrugged. "Don't make a big deal out of it."

You could cut the silence with a knife and thank God the barista had called her name. "Excuse me," she softly said and he moved out of her way and watched as she got her drink. Heading to an empty table, he grabs some napkins and pats down his shirt, a sigh escaping his lips. She was the last person he expected to see and the sense of unfamiliarity between them broke his heart. It was funny, he had trouble remembering the easiest of things, but when it came down to that day, three years ago, he could remember it like he could wire a circuit with his eyes closed.

"Um, I'm in a rush, but it was good to see you."

"Pepper..."

She didn't bother letting him continue and hurried towards the door. She had to get out of here before she said something she'd regret.

"This is how it's going to be?" If that was an attempt to get her to stop in her tracks, it worked. Her eyes close and she is fully in control of her emotions as she turns around to face him. "I thought the whole point of us breaking up was so it wasn't gonna be like this."

"Don't do this. Bringing up the past...it's been three years."

"And I'm stuck in it," he concluded.

"I meant it when I said it was good to see you," she responded with a kind smile. And deep down she really did mean those words because when she thought about their relationship, she didn't feel mad, sad, or anything else for that matter. She was grateful for the opportunity and she didn't regret it. "I didn't mean to act like I just had and I apologize, but Tony, part of moving on is letting go and I have with you. And, yeah, the process was painful, but I learned a lot about myself from it. It's hard at that age. You blame everyone and everything for your failures and a lot of that comes from immaturity."

"You realize there's no point in blaming and you start to think of all the good you once shared and that is what I choose to remember when I think about us. We were kids, going through high school. Fun was the only thing we cared about, and at that point in our lives, nothing could have prepared us for what happened in that span we were together. Our bond wasn't strong enough and we weren't capable enough to get pass it all unscathed. You know it. I know it. It's something I accepted. Because no matter how good our intentions would had been toward each other, it still wouldn't had been good enough and I truly believe that. So, yes, to answer your question. You are. You have to be, Tony."

She was doing better than she thought. She refused to let her emotions break through the surface, so if he would let this go, she could away with her control still intact.

Even as Pepper was talking, he could hear an underlying sadness in her voice. Sure, she moved on...they both have, but in the end, their relationship never ran its natural course, which left a lot of "what if's" to think about.

"I guess that's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah," she softly replied. "You're in New York again?"

"Only for this week. I have some meetings to attend."

Was she relieved to hear that? A part of her was. But another isn't.

He wanted to tell her he missed her, but held his tongue instead. He didn't have the right to say something like that, not when he was the one who chose to severe ties between them.

"Maybe we can catch up one day." Why did she just say that?

"It's okay, Pepper," he replied in earnest. "I mean, it's already weird as is, we don't need to agree on a day to celebrate it." His comment made her laugh and he marked that up as a small victory. "You should go. I don't want you to be late to wherever it is you need to be at."

Oh, right. She had work.

"Yeah, I should get going," she said as she checked the time.

"Bye, Pep." He smiled and walked her direction. For a split second she thought he was coming toward her, but she's surprised when he brushes past her and keeps on walking.


So there's definitely unresolved feelings and I'm sure you guys are excited about that. Please let me know what you think; it makes all the difference! I hoped you guys liked the first chapter, the next one should be out in about two weeks :)