"Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet."

"You didn't even ask for her name," Colin murmured softly, his tone filled with accusation.

Exasperated, Logan let out a heavy sigh, his hand planted firmly on his forehead as he stared down at the drink his friend had poured for him, untouched and forgotten. "How many times do we have to go over this?" he snapped, his frustration and anger palpable. It had been sixty-seven days since that unforgettable fourteen-hour date with the enigmatic girl in Boston, and it had undeniably changed him. "We made a pact, remember? Nicknames only."

"Oh, right. Darling." With a mischievous grin, Finn playfully interjected in a sing-song voice, taking a seat beside his friend. The trio assembled in Finn and Colin's apartment, conveniently located just outside the Yale campus, where Logan had been crashing a few nights while his own studio down the hall was still in progress.

Logan glanced over at Colin and Finn, a mix of emotions flickering across his face. He understood their curiosity, but he wasn't ready to reveal all the details just yet as he was still reliving the day over in his head, in his memory. "Look, guys, it's not that simple," he began, his voice tinged with hesitation. "Yes, we spent hours together, but it was more about the connection we shared than the personal details we exchanged."

Finn leaned forward, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Come on, Logan, you can't leave us hanging. There has to be something, some glimpse into who she is. Maybe something we can look up on the internet."

"I can't stalk her with the details she has given me, just like she can't with me." Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew he couldn't keep everything to himself forever, but the fear of losing that magical memory was holding him back. "Okay, fine," he relented, his voice softer now as he looked down to the untouched drink, lifting the glass up and downing the liquid. "We talked about our dreams, our fears, and our favorite books. She mentioned how much she loved the ocean, how it made her feel alive and her hope she could have a home there one day."

Colin and Finn exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued. Logan continued, a small smile playing on his lips. "And... well, she told me how she wanted to be a writer, how she wanted to change the world but she said the most important thing to her was just to be happy."

Finn let out a satisfied chuckle while Colin nodded in understanding. "And the both of you just left without a real goodbye?" Colin asks softly.

"We shared a kiss, an almost promise that the world would bring us together again."

Finn, who believed in fate more than Colin told his friend, "You just need to believe in that, hold on to that. Fate is real, Logan and they have a way of bringing people together when times are needed."

"You are right." Logan tells him quietly.

—- —- —- —-

Two weeks had elapsed since the school year began, and it felt as if time came to a screeching halt for Logan. His fingers clenched tightly around the paper coffee cup, causing it to quiver and rain droplets on the ground. Frozen in his tracks, his gaze fixated on the vibrant newsroom that lay ahead. Though attending today was an obligation enforced by his father, Logan's heart raced for an entirely different reason. There, amidst the bustling crowd, stood the girl who had captured his heart in the town nicknamed 'The Beantown.' Memories of their shared past flooded his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.

Dropping his bag at the nearest vacant desk, Logan's gaze fixated on the woman engrossed in conversation with the editor. A momentary tension gripped him as he searched for the right words, realizing he had none. Regret washed over him for not exchanging contact information, a simple means of staying connected but they knew what they agreed to, nicknames and fate. He remembers her words before disappearing around the corner earlier this year, "If it was meant to be, fate would bring us back together again."

And now, within the walls of his own school, in the bustling newsroom, she stood before him. Perhaps, he mused, the universe wasn't conspiring against him after all. Maybe this was the very hand of fate at work. He couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip through his fingers, he needed more of her in his life.

"Hey, I know you... wait wait wait, don't tell me, I'm seeing a uniform of some sort." he greeted her, a glimmer of hope that she would recognize him.

As she turned around, ready to unleash a sharp retort, her mouth opened in surprise, only to close it again. "Charming," she muttered, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Logan's heart skipped a beat as he soaked in the warmth of her greeting. "Darling," he echoed back, his voice filled with a mix of affection and restraint. Every cell in his body yearned to embrace her, to display his overwhelming joy at seeing her again. Yet, he held himself back, afraid to disrupt the delicate balance of the moment. But then, as if sensing his internal struggle, she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips delicately grazing his cheek. That tender connection, he felt a wave of calm wash over him, and the feeling of being home in her embrace.