"Hi, it's been a while." Henry nervously stuffed his hands into his pockets as he looked at her. God, she looked incredible. He wondered if he looked okay compared to her. He suddenly felt less than with his scruffy beard and barely combed hair. He tried to remember if he sprayed some cologne on himself or whether he even put on deodorant. Did he look okay? Damn, he only just saw her again and he was already eager to impress her and display a good image of himself. It took him a few moments to realize she hadn't said anything and just stared at him, her mouth slightly agape as two girls next to her eyed him as well. He shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat.

"Char?"

"Nope." Was all she said as she turned on her heels and beelined straight for the door. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she breathed heavily, her heart pounding against her chest and in her ears loud enough to drown out all other sounds. She barely even felt the cold air hit her as she rushed outside into the November night. She began her trek down the driveway, not thinking clearly other than the need to get away from Henry and hide under her covers at home. As she made her way down the sidewalk, she could finally hear Tati and Jasmine calling her name, but even worse, she could also hear Henry calling her.

"Charlotte, where the fuck are you going?!" Tatiana called out as she rushed after her friend.

"Home!" Charlotte answered.

"You live across town, you can't walk home!" Jasmine yelled as she tried to keep up with her quick pace.

"I haven't had my morning run in a few days, I could use the exercise!" she countered as she walked briskly. Henry took advantage of his long limbs and ran after her, easily passing the other girls and running up behind Charlotte.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sending chills through her body (or maybe it was because she was outside at night without a jacket). Either way, she folded her arms and hugged herself as she walked faster. She refused to answer him as she kept her eyes ahead as she headed steadfast towards the intersection. Henry rolled his eyes when he was met with silence but continued to follow the stubborn woman. "Char, you can't walk home! What about your friends? At least let them take you home."

"They wanted to go to the party so I'm going to let them enjoy themselves," she answered tersely. Even if her words were cold, Henry was still happy to hear her voice again after so long. He shrugged his jacket off of his shoulders and held it out to her as he followed.

"At least take my jacket."

"No."

"Charlotte, it's fucking freezing out here."

"I'm fine." Henry scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. One thing about her hadn't changed and it was how damn stubborn she was. She kept her eyes ahead as she walked quickly. She didn't care what anyone said, she was going to go home and scream into her pillow and mentally hex her friends. She knew this would happen, she knew he'd be there, and she knew she wasn't ready for this. It pissed her off so much how everyone else insisted that they knew better than she did. Jasper, Tati, Jasmine, her mother - none of them listened to her and just told her to move on. It was just like working with Ray, no one ever listened to her even though she was always right. She stepped off the curb and onto the street blindly, too focused on her buzzing thoughts and hurt feelings to pay attention. She was quickly brought back to where she was when she heard a loud car horn and she turned her head to see nothing but a set of bright lights blaring and speeding towards her.

"Charlotte!" Henry quickly grabbed her arms and yanked her back onto the sidewalk, holding her body against his own as the car sped past them with the driver holding out his middle finger. Charlotte breathed heavily as the adrenaline rushed through her, her body trembling as she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She moved to raise her hands to her face but was stopped by Henry's hold on her and she suddenly became very aware of his presence. His strong hold, his hard chest against her back, the woody scent of his cologne - everything about him invaded most of her senses and she could feel herself melting into his embrace before she remembered who he was and what their history was. She snatched her arms out of his grip and stepped away from him, hearing him scoff.

"Oh, you're welcome for saving your life, Charlotte," he jeered and she finally turned around to face him. She folded her arms over her chest as she glared at him, taking in his features fully. It was dark out and the two of them were only illuminated by the amber colored street lights, but she could still easily make him out. The first thing she noticed was that he cut off his hair. In Dystopia, he still had his shaved sides but the top of his head was adorned with natural blond curls that she was always fond of. Now, his head was completely shaved and his hair looked especially dark in the lighting. It connected to his sideburns which led down to a scruffy beard along his jaw and a small mustache over his top lip. He still had those pink full lips, a handsome nose, and brown eyes that always seemed to stare directly into her soul. He was still so damn handsome and it was only accentuated by the way his shirt clung to his chest and the tattoos she could barely make out on his arms. He had changed so much but he still felt so familiar, but she refused to allow herself to be pulled back in.

"Thank you for saving my life," she finally said as she narrowed her eyes. "Now, leave me alone so I can walk home!" She turned away from him and he sighed heavily as he quickly walked forward and stood in front of her.

"You can't walk across Swellview alone at night, Charlotte. Let me take you home," he offered and she raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him. Damn, he was still taller than her but it at least wasn't as bad as when they were kids.

"Fuck no, I'd rather ride with a one eyed truck driver with a criminal record named Bubba." She brushed past him and made sure to look both ways before crossing the street. Henry groaned in frustration and ran his hands over his face.

"Then let me get your friends so they can take you home!"

"Leave me alone!" she called back as she kept walking. If Henry still had longer hair, he would've pulled it all out by this point. He was about to call out to her again when he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned to see Jasper jogging up behind him and stopping as he reached.

"What the hell happened?" he asked as he looked at Henry then Charlotte as she continued to walk away. "Where are you going?!" Hearing his voice, she turned towards him and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Screw you! You said I could easily avoid him yet he was the first one I saw!" she yelled at him and he rolled his eyes.

"You're being ridiculous! How was I supposed to know you guys were gonna see each other right away?" he defended himself and Henry raised an eyebrow.

"You turned me around so I could see her-"

Jasper smacked his chest and eyed him incredulously. "Shut up," he hissed and the other blond rolled his eyes. He sighed and looked at Charlotte again. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? But you're being stupid. Let us take you home." She frowned and simply stuck out her tongue before turning around and continuing her trek down the sidewalk. Henry shook his head and looked at his friend.

"She won't let me take her home, she won't let me get her friends to take her home, I don't know what the fuck to do," he said clearly annoyed and already at the end of his rope. Jasper sighed and ran his fingers through his hair when he quickly got an idea.

"Let me send for a Gũber! What's a better screw you than making me lose some money, hm?" he said and she stopped walking. She thought it over. It was really cold out and she'd be freezing by the time she eventually made it home. That idea also meant she wouldn't have to be trapped in a car with either of them or deal with a million questions from Tati and Jasmine. She sighed heavily and kept her back to them.

"Fine!" she responded and both Henry and Jasper let out relieved sighs. As Jasper took out his phone and started to send for a car, Henry couldn't take his eyes off of the petite figure ahead of him. Even though she was a little far away, he could see that she was holding her arms and shivering a little. Her stubbornness was going to get her sick. He wanted so badly to go up to her and wrap his arms around her, hold her close and warm her up with his body. But he knew she wouldn't allow him to do that. All he wanted was to talk to her but he could tell that he wasn't going to get to do that tonight. He let out a heavy sigh and handed his jacket to Jasper.

"Make sure he takes this, I'm gonna head back to the party," he said. The other took it and nodded as he gave him an apologetic look. Henry just shrugged and glanced at Charlotte once more before making his way back to Sidney's house. That wasn't how he planned his reunion with Charlotte to go. When they first broke up, he imagined a lot of yelling and more curse words before they'd part ways again forever. He figured he'd have a girl on his arm and he'd be over her and would happily rub his happiness in her face while she hugged her precious degree. But as time went on and he couldn't stop missing her, he thought maybe their reunion would be more civil. Maybe they'd apologize to each other, say how much they missed each other, and get back together. Maybe he'd get a second chance with the love of his life.

He never considered the possibility of her literally running away from him and almost getting hit by a car. He sighed and rubbed his temple in frustration. He just wanted to talk to her, he had to talk to her. He needed to apologize for everything he said to her. But then he realized something. Would she apologize? He said hurtful things, he was well aware of that (Jasper yelled at him like he never did before), but he wasn't the only one. For a while, her words buzzed around in his head nonstop. Selfish, a high school dropout, a pathetic bastard. How come she got to run away when she hurt him just as badly? The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got. Here he was running after her and planning out his apology when she clearly had no intention of apologizing herself. It wasn't fair, and he wasn't going to let her walk all over him again. He approached Sidney's house again, fully prepared to drink the night away when he was stopped by who he assumed were Charlotte's friends.

"Hey, where is she?" the one with braids asked. She was pretty and shared the same skin tone as Charlotte, something he always found so beautiful. He gestured towards the intersection where she was probably still standing stubbornly.

"She didn't want you girls to miss out on the party so she's going home alone, Jasper's sending for a Güber for her," he said and she sighed heavily as she turned to her friend. Henry couldn't deny that she was quite pretty as well.

"She was right, we shouldn't have made her come here. Let's go take her home," she said and the other scoffed as she shook her head.

"He said she wants us to enjoy the party. This is like the first thing we're actually getting to do since arriving Friday. Let her have her pity party alone, I'm going to have fun."

"Tati, we can't let her go home alone and sulk! That wouldn't be fair to her."

"Don't care, she left on her own accord. I'm staying." She finally turned her attention to Henry and a smile tugged at her lips. "I'm Tatiana, but everyone calls me Tati. This is Jasmine. We're friends of Char from college. So, you're the famous Henry?" He chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah…I would ask what she's said about me but I can't imagine it's been too nice…" Tatiana chuckled and shrugged her shoulders dismissively as Jasmine eyed her. She was up to something but she wasn't quite sure what.

"She never really said much actually. Doesn't matter, you're gonna be our Swellview guide for the night. Come introduce us to your friends! Especially that dealer," she said as she grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside with her before he could even object. He laughed a little and relented, going back inside with her and letting himself have fun. He would have to deal with his Charlotte problem tomorrow.

Meanwhile, when the Güber finally arrived, Charlotte mumbled a quiet thanks to Jasper before climbing into the backseat and letting the driver take her home. The warmth in the Honda Crosstour was more than welcoming after standing outside for so long. She instinctively snuggled against the jacket that Jasper placed on her shoulders before the smell hit her. It was the same woodsy cologne that Henry had on and she quickly realized it was his jacket. She sighed and shrugged it off of her arms, taking it and zipping it closed before folding it a little. She brought it up to her nose and inhaled deeply, letting the cologne invade her lungs and making her heart ache more. Damn. It was humiliating just how weak he made her. She always saw their reunion going differently. She'd be married and she'd show him her ring and her handsome husband, and would show that people did want her. She was desirable to more than just him. He didn't settle for her, he lost an amazing catch. But here she was, sorta engaged to a man who cheated on her, miserable, and lonely as she sniffed her ex's jacket. She was so fucking pathetic.

She blinked away tears that were tempted to spill and leaned her head back against the car seat. She knew her mom would have a million questions over why she was home already, Tati and Jasmine would curse her out for abandoning them at the party, and Jasper would probably be over asking her to talk to him, but she just wanted to sulk in bed and cry. She was due for some major self pity and wallowing in her heartbreak. Maybe she'd break out some ice cream too. When the car stopped, she thanked the driver and got out, hugging the jacket to her chest as she walked up the steps to her porch. She paused when she saw Piper sitting on the bench, her eyes on her phone before she noticed the other walk up. She quickly stood and put her phone away, holding her cardigan closed.

"Hey, your mom told me you went to a party," she said, surprised to see her. Charlotte nodded with a soft sigh. Piper noticed her hugging Henry's jacket in her arms and she raised a curious eyebrow.

"Things went south the second I got there so I came back home…" she replied and looked at her. "What are you doing here?" This time it was the blonde who sighed.

"Boy problems but I have no real friends to talk to." Charlotte smiled a little and nodded in understanding, walking up to the door and walking inside with the young Hart. Charlotte greeted her mother and as she expected, she had multiple questions but she just told her she'd talk to her tomorrow and went upstairs with Piper. The two entered her room and she quickly got changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a Stanford sweatshirt.

"Tell me what's going on," she said as she started to wipe off her makeup. Piper climbed onto her bed and leaned back against the pillows, grabbing one to hug to her chest. She bit down on her lip nervously as she thought over what she wanted to tell her. This wasn't something she could tell Jana or Marla, they weren't trustworthy enough to keep their mouths shut. Charlotte was really the only true friend she had (well, Ray as well, but she'd never admit that to him or actually talk to him about something like this). She finally inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as she willed herself to tell her.

"I want to have sex." Charlotte coughed loudly, choking on her own spit and accidentally pressing too hard against her eye with her makeup wipe. She placed a hand against her chest as she coughed until she could breathe properly before turning to look at the young blonde with wide eyes.

"What?!"

"Not with you!" the blonde clarified with an eye roll and Charlotte felt a wave of relief wash over her. "I just mean in general, you know? But…guys my age just gross me out! Jackson, Billy, fucking Steve," she growled the last name. "Sometimes, I really just hate all men." Charlotte leaned back against her dresser and gave Piper an amused grin as she listened.

"Maybe you really don't like men. Maybe you're gay," she offered and the blonde shook her head.

"No, I'm definitely attracted to guys. And I'm not asexual or aromantic either, I have urges and needs. And…" She felt her cheeks warm up as she realized what she was about to say. She glanced up at Charlotte who looked at her kindly and without any sign of judgement in her eyes. She sighed again and ran her fingers through her. "I'm the only one in my friend group who's still a virgin." The older woman sighed and tied her hair back into a ponytail before going over to the bed and sitting on the edge.

"Piper, you're only nineteen, there's no need to be worried about that. You have more than enough time to find the right guy who will make you feel comfortable enough to have your first time with," she told her with a small smile. But Piper didn't return it, she just looked at her with an unamused expression and an eye roll.

"You sound like my mom," she deadpanned and Charlotte chuckled softly. Piper looked down at the pillow she was holding and idly played with the tresses hanging off of it. "How old were you when you first had sex? Or are you still a virgin?" she asked condescendingly as she glanced at the other. She rolled her eyes and was about to answer when she realized just what the answer was. She was nineteen too, and it was with Henry. The night she confessed her feelings to him. He was experienced himself and went slow with her, he made sure that it was nothing short of a pleasurable experience for her. It was incredible.

But she couldn't tell Piper that. For all she knew, she didn't even know that she and Henry dated. She swallowed hard and shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

"Uh…I was eighteen and it was with Jack Swagger," she said and avoided meeting Piper's gaze. She could see the girl's mouth fall open out of the corner of her eye and she suppressed a groan.

"You lost your virginity to Jack Swagger?! You lucky bitch, he's so hot and a music superstar! How could you not tell me?!" she practically screeched and kicked at her hip. Charlotte laughed and quickly moved away from her.

"It was no big deal!"

"Getting dick from a music superstar isn't a big deal?! Shut up, and tell me every single detail! Was it big?" She leaned in closer and the elder uncomfortably leaned away before laughing nervously. She had to figure out a way to get out of this. She got up from the bed and cleared her throat as she anxiously cracked her knuckles.

"I-it was a really private and personal experience okay? I don't wanna really talk about that. Come on, back to you! There's really no guys you're into?" she asked, desperate to change the conversation. Piper raised an eyebrow again and glanced at Henry's jacket that was laid over the chair. She was hiding something from her but she wasn't going to push her. Yet. She leaned back against the headboard and eyed Charlotte for a bit before squinting.

"Promise to keep your mouth shut?" she asked and Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows together before nodding.

"Yeah, promise…" The blonde bit down on her bottom lip and breathed deeply before closing her eyes. She didn't want to see her reaction.

"So, like…is it just me or…is Jasper super hot now?" She squeezed her eyes shut tighter as she waited for a reaction. When she was met with silence, she slowly peeled one eye open and was met with Charlotte's mouth open but an amused and shocked smile on her face. She groaned loudly.

"Jasper?!" she nearly yelled. "Jasper is who you're into?! Holy shit, the same Jasper you used to attack like daily?!" She couldn't help but laugh loudly and even louder when Piper threw a pillow at her. She found this way too amusing.

"Shut up!" the blonde yelled. "I don't know what's gotten into me! When I first saw him, my brain completely shut down. And last night when I got home, he said I looked good and I…" She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she looked for the words to say. She couldn't and could only shudder as she thought back to the overwhelming feeling it gave her. Charlotte just guffawed in a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"Sorry girl, I just never thought this would ever happen. You having a thing for Jasper…wow, pigs must be flying someone," she said with an amused chuckle. She slowly calmed down as she sat on the bed. Piper just groaned and flopped over, laying sideways on the bed.

"My life was so much more simpler when I didn't have to see him," she whined and Charlotte's smile faded a little as her laughter died down and she realized how much she related to her words. She laid down next to her so their shoulders were touching, both of them staring up at the ceiling.

"I know how you feel," she said with a sigh.

At the party, it didn't take long for Henry to finally start having fun with Tati by his side. She was so different from Charlotte - she was outgoing, bold, and said whatever was on her mind without caring what anyone thought. She downed whatever drink was offered to her (after making sure she wasn't being roofied and threatening to tase anyone who did) and happily took multiple bong rips. She quickly became the life of the party and Henry enjoyed being around her. She took his mind off of Charlotte. After multiple rounds of drinks and shared blunts, Henry found himself watching her dance atop of a table as Up by Cardi B blasted through the speakers. It would be a lie if he said he didn't enjoy watching her move, he very much enjoyed the sight in front of him and he could tell others did as well by the way they whooped and hollered.

Jasmine stood back as she watched as well, though she wasn't having as much fun. She was the designated driver of the night and she was way too sober to find Tati's antics entertaining. She glanced at the time on her phone and frowned. 12:48 am. She wanted to go home and make sure Charlotte was okay, but Tati was adamant about staying and having fun. But her type of fun meant getting high and drunk and now, it also seemed to involve being around Henry. The young woman was very observant and she spent the hours at the party watching her friend and the blond. They seemed to attach themselves to each other the more and more they smoke and drank. She wanted to tell herself that it was just the substances messing with their heads, but there was something about the way Tati looked at him. Jasmine knew she was going to do something messy and she wanted to stop it before it even began. She watched as she bowed to her audience when the song ended, letting out a relieved sigh. Maybe now they could go home. She began to walk over to her but froze in her steps as Tati turned to look at Henry.

"You should get down before the table breaks," he said between his soft chuckles. She nodded but instead of carefully stepping down, she leaped off of the table and landed in his arms. He stumbled back a little but laughed as he caught her, one arm underneath her knees and the other behind her back as she had an arm around his neck and she laughed loudly.

"I got down!" she announced and he nodded in agreement.

"That you did!" Jasmine rolled her eyes and quickly walked over to them, clearing her throat loudly to get their attention.

"Tati, let's go," she said sternly and the older woman rolled her eyes.

"I wanna stay! We're having fun!" She looked at Henry and he flashed her a smile before glancing at Jasmine. The look in her eyes made his smile fall quickly. God, she really reminded him of Charlotte

"It's almost 1 am, we should get back and make sure Charlotte is okay." She narrowed her eyes at both of them but Tati knew the look was for her. She sighed in annoyance and got down from Henry's arms.

"Fine," she complied, "let's go." She turned to Henry and smiled, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "We should hang out while I'm here! I'm staying until the new year with Charlotte." The blond nodded and flashed her a grin.

"Definitely! I live right down the street from Char so we can meet up whenever. It was nice meeting you…both," he said as his eyes flicked to an unimpressed Jasmine. She gave him a quick smile and waved before tossing Tati's jacket at her and dragging her out by her wrist. She stumbled after her and almost tripped down the stairs before she yanked her arm away.

"Damn bitch, slow down! Is Char dying or something?" she asked as she followed Jasmine to the car. The younger woman just rolled her eyes and unlocked the car, both of them getting into the front seats.

"No, but you will be! What the fuck are you planning with Henry?" she asked as she glared at her. The curly haired woman raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"What are you talking about?" she asked slightly miffed. Jasmine rolled her eyes and started the car.

"You and Henry were all over each other tonight. What the fuck are you doing? You know Charlotte is still head over heels for him." Tati grew even more irritated and opened the glove compartment. She dug around until she found a spare scrunchie and used it to hold her hair in a low ponytail. She needed some time to think of an excuse. Henry was hot. It was more clear to her now why Charlotte was so devastated by their breakup, she wouldn't want to lose someone as fine as him either. But she knew if she said that to Jasmine, she'd be in for an annoying lecture.

"He's the only person we kinda know who knows Swellview so I just stuck with him. Is that so bad?" She looked at the other who had a frown on her face as she looked at the road.

"Tati," she said sternly.

"Look," she sighed, "I'm not plotting or planning anything, okay? I was just making a friend. So fucking sue me! Get off my back!" She sat her elbow against the car window sill and placed her chin on her palm, her eyes gazed on the street lights as they drove past them. She heard Jasmine and mumble a "whatever" before going silent much to Tati's relief. She didn't need a lecture or a talking to, she was a grown woman and Henry was a grown man. They could do whatever the hell they wanted. And since Charlotte didn't want him, she wouldn't mind taking him off her hands.