C4 Stop Playing Around

Saturday afternoon had always been one of Sierra’s favorite times to disappear.

Not disappear in the dramatic sense.

She simply liked getting away from everything for a few hours.

No work emails.

No calls from Elizabeth asking whether she had eaten.

No unnecessary conversations.

Just a quiet place where nobody expected anything from her.

Her favorite library was perfect for that.

It wasn't the biggest library in the city, but Sierra loved it anyway. Tall windows let in soft afternoon light, the shelves were arranged neatly, and there was a small reading area toward the back where she usually spent most of her time.

Today, however, she wasn't alone.

Emily sat across from her with a book open in front of her.

She had been on the same page for nearly ten minutes.

Sierra finally looked up.

“You haven't turned that page.”

Emily blinked.

“What?”

“You've been staring at it.”

“I've been reading.”

“No, you haven't.”

Emily closed the book.

“Fine.”

Sierra smiled.

“What are you thinking about?”

Emily leaned back in her chair.

“A guy.”

Sierra laughed quietly.

“Of course.”

“What?”

“Nothing. You just have that face.”

“What face?”

“The face you make when you're thinking about someone.”

Emily narrowed her eyes.

“You're one to talk.”

Sierra's smile disappeared slightly.

Emily noticed.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You did the face.”

“What face?”

“The face.”

Sierra shook her head.

“You're imagining things.”

Emily wasn't convinced.

She leaned forward.

“Okay, fine. I'll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.”

Sierra raised an eyebrow.

“That's not how friendship works.”

“It absolutely is.”

“Since when?”

“Since right now.”

Sierra laughed.

“Fine. Tell me.”

Emily smiled.

“There’s this guy at the hospital.”

Sierra leaned back.

“Ah.”

“Don't ‘ah’ me.”

“I'm listening.”

“I've known him for a while.”

“Okay.”

“And I think I might like him.”

Sierra smiled.

“You think?”

Emily sighed.

“Fine. I definitely like him.”

“That's better.”

“But I don't know what to do about it.”

“Talk to him.”

Emily stared at her.

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is.”

“No, it isn't.”

“Why not?”

“Because what if he doesn't like me?”

Sierra shrugged.

“Then you find out and move on.”

Emily stared at her.

“That's your advice?”

“Pretty much.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“You make everything sound so simple.”

Sierra smiled.

“Sometimes it is.”

Emily studied her for a moment.

“Is that what you would do?”

Sierra's smile faded.

She looked down at the book in front of her.

“I don't know.”

Emily noticed the change immediately.

“You were thinking about someone, weren't you?”

Sierra didn't answer.

She didn't have to.

Alex's face appeared in her mind before she could stop it.

The café.

His quiet voice.

The way he'd looked at her when she asked why he'd rejected her.

And then—

I never stopped caring about you.

Sierra's fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her book.

Three years.

Three years of believing that Alex had simply stopped caring.

Three years of telling herself that whatever they had shared had only meant something to her.

And now he had looked her in the eyes and told her otherwise.

But that wasn't the part that bothered her most.

It was the fear in his eyes.

She had seen it.

She knew she had.

Whatever Alex was hiding wasn't something small.

“Sierra?”

She looked up.

Emily was watching her.

“Sorry.”

“You disappeared.”

“I was thinking.”

“About him?”

Sierra hesitated.

Then she nodded.

“A little.”

Emily smiled.

“So there is a him.”

Sierra laughed softly.

“There was.”

Emily tilted her head.

“Was?”

“It's complicated.”

“Complicated is usually another word for interesting.”

Sierra smiled.

“You're very nosy.”

“I'm your friend. It's my job.”

Sierra looked down again.

“I met someone from my past.”

Emily's expression softened.

“Someone important?”

Sierra thought about that.

“I thought he wasn't important anymore.”

“And now?”

Sierra didn't answer immediately.

“Now I'm not sure.”

Emily nodded.

She didn't push.

Instead, she picked up her book again.

“You know,” she said casually, “sometimes people come back into our lives for a reason.”

Sierra looked at her.

“Or sometimes they come back to remind us why we left them behind.”

Emily smiled.

“True.”

Sierra looked toward the tall windows.

She didn't know which one Alex was.

And that uncertainty bothered her more than anything.

---

Across town, Peter sat in his car outside Alex's apartment.

He checked his phone.

Then the building.

Then his phone again.

Finally, Alex walked outside.

Peter lowered the window.

“You're late.”

Alex glanced at him.

“Hello to you too.”

“Get in.”

Alex opened the passenger door.

“You could've just called.”

“I did.”

“I didn't see it.”

“You ignored it.”

Alex buckled his seat belt.

“Same thing.”

Peter laughed.

“You haven't changed.”

Alex looked out the window.

“Neither have you.”

Peter pulled away from the curb.

For a few minutes, neither said anything.

Then Peter glanced at him.

“So.”

Alex already knew what was coming.

“No.”

Peter frowned.

“I haven't even said anything.”

“You're about to.”

“About Sierra.”

Alex looked out the window again.

Peter smiled slightly.

“I knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“That you didn't want to talk about her.”

“Peter.”

“What?”

“Drop it.”

Peter sighed.

“You know, you have this really annoying habit.”

“What habit?”

“Pretending you're fine when you're obviously not.”

Alex didn't answer.

Peter continued driving.

“You saw her again after three years.”

“Yes.”

“You talked to her.”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“How did it go?”

Alex was quiet.

Peter waited.

Finally, Alex said, “She wanted answers.”

“Did you give them to her?”

“Not all of them.”

Peter glanced at him.

“Why?”

Alex looked down at his hands.

“Because I couldn't.”

Peter's expression changed.

He knew Alex well.

Better than most people did.

And he knew when Alex was avoiding a question.

“Alex.”

“I'm fine.”

“I didn't ask if you were fine.”

Alex looked at him.

Peter continued.

“I asked why you couldn't tell her.”

Alex didn't respond.

The silence stretched between them.

Peter sighed.

“You still care about her.”

It wasn't a question.

Alex looked away.

“That doesn't matter.”

“It matters to her.”

“It shouldn't.”

Peter frowned.

“Why are you deciding what should matter to her?”

Alex's jaw tightened.

“Because it's better this way.”

“For who?”

Alex didn't answer.

Peter shook his head.

“You did this three years ago.”

Alex stared out the window.

“I know.”

“And now she's back.”

“I know.”

“And you're going to do it again?”

Alex finally looked at him.

“I don't have a choice.”

Peter studied him.

There was something different about Alex today.

Something heavier.

“You keep saying that,” Peter said quietly.

“Because it's true.”

Peter didn't believe him.

But he didn't push further.

Not yet.

---

By the time Sierra left the library, the sun had begun to sink.

She walked toward her car, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

Her phone vibrated.

She stopped.

For a second, she simply stared at the screen.

Alex.

Her heart gave an annoying little jump.

She opened the message.

Alex: I'm sorry about yesterday.

Sierra frowned.

She typed back.

Sierra: You don't have to apologize.

Three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Then finally:

Alex: I know.

Sierra stared at the message.

That was it.

Four words.

She waited.

Nothing else came.

She locked her phone.

For some reason, she felt disappointed.

She didn't understand why.

Alex had already told her he needed time.

Maybe this was his way of taking it.

Still, as Sierra got into her car, one thought stayed with her.

At the café, Alex had looked like someone who desperately wanted to tell her something.

Now he sounded like someone trying very hard not to.

And Sierra had the uncomfortable feeling that whatever had changed between them wasn't over.

It was only beginning.