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Lily got to her feet, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Let's just leave things the way they are now, on good terms okay?"

"No."

Chapter 3

"No?" said Lily. "You want me to still be mad at you?"

"No," said James. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "I still want you, tell me you still want me?"

"No."

"Tell me you don't want me then?"

"No," said Lily.

"I still love you," James whispered. "Tell me you still love me?"

"No."

"Tell me you don't love me?"

Silence.

"Tell me you did love me once," James whispered.

"I did," said Lily quietly.

"I never stopped loving you," said James pulling away so that he could look at her. "So I don't want to just leave things on good terms. I want you back, I can't believe I ever let you go in the first place...no I can't believe you ever wanted me to begin with."

"James..."

James stood up so that they were face to face. "I know I hurt you," he murmured. "I thought I was getting better, thought I was starting to miss you less and then I saw you..."

"You didn't hurt me James," said Lily trying to be brave. She had wished that he would stay these things to her for so long, but it had been too long she couldn't forget everything she had gone through because of him. "You broke my heart, totally and completely. I thought you were the most amazing guy in the whole world, the one guy I could always depend on. I thought you were the guy that would rather chew his own arm off than hurt me..."

"I am."

"No you're not," said Lily. "That guy was just an figment of my imagination, you're not him and you never will be."

"I was that guy," said James sadly. "I can be that guy for you again."

"Nope."

"I can be," said James insistently. "Please just give me a chance."

"I can't," Lily sighed. "Please James I just can't. I can't go through that again."

"Baby I'm so sorry," he whispered. He kissed the top of her head. "I am so sorry. I...I don't know what else to say...sorry just doesn't cover it."

"Please James, I have to go home," said Lily. Her head was starting to get fuzzy again, James was intoxicating and she couldn't resist him much longer, he always made her weak at the knees and right now she was having trouble staying on her feet.

"Tell me you don't hate me," he begged. "Please."

"I don't hate you," said Lily

"Thank you," said James.

"I have to go," said Lily.

"I won't stop you," said James. "But I'm not going away. I have tried to avoid you for months, I don't want to do that anymore."

"You shouldn't go out of your way to avoid me," said Lily.

"I won't anymore," said James. "Because I have to at least try to win you back..."

"Win me back? I am not a prize!"

"I know you're not a prize," said James. "I just...I love you and I miss you and..."

"Goodbye James," said Lily all but running for the door.

Damn him! Damn him! She was supposed to be getting over him and after five minutes in his company and she felt like she was back at school again. All she wanted to do was kiss him and tell him that everything was alright, she loved him and she had forgiven him. She wanted to fall into his arms and forget about the past few months. But she couldn't, she couldn't be that girl. She couldn't be the weak girl that let a guy treat her like dirt and then just forgives them because she loves him. She couldn't just give in to him because he decided he wasn't afraid anymore. He got scared once because he thought they were too young, they were still young and if he got scared once he could get scared again and Lily couldn't cope with losing him like that again.

"Stalking is illegal, you know that right?" said Lily the next day. She had gone to the coffee shop, across from her flat, before work and found James standing at the counter holding out a cup of coffee and a muffin.

"I am aware of that," said James as he handed her the coffee.

"Thank you," said Lily politely. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you I am going to avoid you anymore," he said. "So here I am...coincidence isn't it?"

"Coincidence my ass," Lily muttered.

"So how are you today?" James asked.

"Irritated," said Lily.

"Oh well I'm fine," said James. "Nice weather, we're having isn't it?"

"You're talking to me about the weather?"

"Yeah I guess I am."

"Give it up James," sighed Lily. "Do you really think you are going to woe me back with a cup of coffee and a nice chat about the weather?"

"At least it's a start," James shrugged. "I just like talking to you."

"Do not think you can stalk me into falling in love with you!"

"It worked before," James grinned.

"It did not!"

"Well look at the time I have to get to work," said James. "See you tomorrow, same time, same place."

"No!"

"Later love," he said as he bent down and kissed her cheek.

"Ugh you're annoying Potter."

"And you're gorgeous Evans," James called over his shoulder.

"So annoying," Lily muttered under breath. But at least she didn't have to stand in line for her morning coffee.

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