"T-Tommy." I whispered as our eyes met. His brown eyes locked with mine in a stare that made the rest of the room freeze. No one else seemed to move and the music faded, leaving us to our own unfrozen area of the world. I knew it really wasn't like that, but it felt like it at the same time. He looked just like his picture did. His short black hair was gelled and combed to the side, a slight stubble forming on his chin. His torso was dressed in a long sleeve black knitted shirt and dark blue jeans traveled down to his black booted feet. I felt rooted to the spot my feet touched the floor no matter how loudly I mentally screamed at myself to run. He had a bag strung over his shoulder; a green and white gym bag that read REEFSIDE on the front of it.

"I can't believe it's really you." He said softly, his face unreadable. His expression read between lost and anger. The same was happening inside me. Though, I had no real reason to be upset with Tommy. I was the one to blame for all of my own problem.

"I should go." I finally managed to say. Shoving the stool out of my way, I made to walk around him. He caught my elbow though in a gentle way, pulling me to a stop.

"No. Please. Don't go. If this was going to happen, I'd rather it happens this way instead of in front of our entire group of friends." He said to my back. I bit my lip and wrung my hands together in front of me. Maybe he was right. I knew this was going to happen. I had thought about how it would happen the entire flight. I figured he'd get to confront me in the juice bar, call me rotten names and finally get his answers. A thousand scenarios had played out in my mind about this. I just never imagined it would happen here when I wasn't expecting it.

"You're right." I said, turning back to face him. Behind him, the bartender hovered as she pretended to clean the non-soiled counter top. She motioned to my empty glass and I nodded. Walking over to the wine, she grabbed the bottle and another glass. I made my way back to my stool and sat down. Tommy followed, tucking his bag under his seat before sitting in the stool right next to mine.

"Is wine okay?" The woman asked. I watched as Tommy's eyes lingered on the woman in the same fashion mine had when she first spoke to me. He gave a quick nod, not saying anything. Setting the other glass down in front of him, she poured the wine and left the half full bottle between us. "Let me know if you'd like another bottle." She purred before she stalked off, casting a curtain of silence between Tommy and I. Sweat filled my palms as I thought of what to say. I waited for him to say something. He must want to know so much of what happened while I was in Florida to cause me to cut him out of my life like I did. I stared intently at my wine, afraid to look at him. My heart was still racing, filling in the quiet as it pounded in my ears.

"How's the new job?" He asked suddenly, surprising me. Turning to face him, I gave him a confused look. "Jase told me you had accepted a position at a school in Florida to be a music teacher." He explained. "How is it?"

"It's fine. Great, really. Only temporary though. How is your job?" I asked, keeping on the same track as him. Was he as scared as I was to bring it up?

"It keeps me on my toes I suppose. Never thought I'd be where I am though. Mrs. Appleby will be in for the shock of her life when I see her tomorrow." He said, shooting me a small grin. A smile pulled at my lips that I couldn't help but let it.

"That's for sure. I think everyone was a little amazed to see you had gotten your PhD. I guess dinosaurs are just meant to be a recurring theme in your life." I replied, taking a sip of my wine. He nodded, drinking from his as well.

"You could say that." He took another sip before setting his wine down. "So, are we just going to keep making small talk or are we actually going to talk about the thing we've been avoiding for ten years?" He asked, his face hardening. I felt my belly do a flop and I turned my gaze back to my wine.

"Tommy, I have a lot I have to tell you. I don't blame you for being upset with me still. I would be too. It's just not easy for me to talk about. No one really knows what's happened to me while I've been in Florida."

"Try me then. I think you at least own me an explanation about why you broke up with me." He shot back, draining his wine. "Whatever you were going through, I could have been there to help you with. Instead, you went and found someone else to do that, shutting me out of your life completely. Do you know what that did to me? You were the love of my life. I thought some day we were going to get married. Start a family. But you head off to Florida and send me a 'Dear John' letter telling me you've met someone else. That I read in front of all of our friends. That broke me, Kim. And well, if that didn't, the ten years of silence did the job." I could hear the emotions in his voice as he quietly ripped into me. Tears were beginning to fill in behind my eyes, but I did my best to keep them from escaping.

"I know what I did was wrong, but I did it to protect you." I whispered, finishing my wine. I refused to look at him still, putting my hands in my lap.

"Protect me? Protect me from what?" The sudden sound of my phone vibrating across the bar made both of us jump slightly. Picking it up, the picture of Jason Scott and his son that I had set for his caller ID appeared. Swiping the arrow on the screen to the left, I brought it to my ear.

"Hey, Jase." I said, glancing at Tommy. Irritation screamed on his face as his temple pulsed.

"Kimmy, I'm outside of the hotel. Are you ready to come down?" Jason's voice asked.

"What?"

"Trini said you wanted to come over tonight." He said, sounding confused. "You are at the Tricotta, right?"

"Oh. Right. Yes, I am. Give me a few minutes and I'll be right down."

"Sure thing, kiddo. I'm in the red pickup truck." He said before hanging up. I slid my phone into my back pocket and looked at Tommy.

"Jason is outside-." I started but he held his hand up to stop me.

"I heard. I'm supposed to go over there tonight too. I'm going to guess they didn't tell you that, though." He said. I shook my head. "You go. We can finish our conversation at another time."

"You should come with me." I said, dropping off the stool to my feet. He gave me a bit of a surprised look.

"Don't you want to spend time with them without me? I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do. I don't want to cause tension." He replied.

"Tommy, you and Jason are best friends. I'm not going to tell you that you can't go over to his house while you're in town. It's up to you. If you can act civil towards me, I can be civil towards you." He pondered this a moment before standing as well.

"Let me toss my bag in my room and I'll be right down." I nodded as we walked out of the room. He pressed the elevator button to go up and to go down. Both elevators opened. He took the one on the right and I took the one on the left. He gave me one last glance before walking in. Once he was out of site, I hopped on the lift and let out the breath of air I wasn't aware I was holding in. I leaned against the corner of the elevator and buried my face in my hands. This wasn't supposed to go this way. I wasn't supposed to see him here. What the hell was I going to say to him? The truth? I didn't even like saying the words out loud. How on earth could I say them to the one person I've been trying to keep it from since I was seventeen years old?

The doors opened on the first floor. A bright eyed and smiling Jason Lee Scott stood on the other side of them, leaning against one of the end tables with the golden statues on them. The former captain of the football team looked as handsome as ever. His features were just as dashing if not more distinguished by age. He was wearing a red pull over sweatshirt and black jogging pants, standing out like a sore thumb in the fancy hotel lobby. He held his arms up and gave me an expectant look, waiting for a hug. I stepped off the elevator slowly and stopped in front of him.

"That's it? That's all I get?" He asked, giving me a hurt look.

"Tommy's on his way down here." I replied, casting a glance over my shoulder. Jason nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"He was supposed to tell me when he got to town, so I could warn you. Sorry."

"Well, a nice warning that he was going tomorrow would have been nice! You told me yesterday that last you heard, he wasn't coming! What the hell, Jase?!" I exclaimed in a hushed voice, smacking him in the chest.

"Trini and I thought that you wouldn't come if you knew for sure he was going to be here. And when I did talk to him yesterday, he still was up in the air about it. He didn't change his mind until this afternoon. I didn't know you'd both be in the same hotel. What happened?"

"Nothing. We were talking when you called. Jason, you and Trini didn't tell him anything about my accident, did you?" He shook his head quickly.

"No. You told us not to tell anyone and we haven't. Why?"

"Because if I end up telling him, I want to make sure I'm the one he hears everything from. Not the rumor mill." The elevator dinged behind us before the doors opened. Tommy walked out, his long legs taking quick strides towards us. He smiled when he saw Jason.

"Hey, Jase. Good to see you!" He said as the two shook hands.

"You too." Jason said, pulling Tommy in for an embrace. "At least you hug me. Kimmy wouldn't." He said, pouting towards me. I shot him a glare as the boys released each other.

"Hope you don't mind me tagging along." Tommy said, ignoring Jason's comment. Jason waved his hand at his best friend.

"Don't worry about it, bro. You'll have to drive though. My pick-up can only seat two and Trini would have a bird if I let you ride in the back all the way to our house. Cause it's not 'safe.'" He lifted his hands and made the quotation mark movements with his fingers. "Funny how after all we've been through, that's the thing she thinks will do one of us in." He laughed, shaking his head before turning towards the exit.