Short story

He slammed his rusted car door shut, the hinges shrieked in protest. He did not bother to lock the car; he’d be lucky if anyone attempted to steal it. He had wanted coffee all day but he usually did not come to this particular shop because it brought back memories, sometimes bittersweet. He figured he would not run into her at this time of day. He was still mulling over that thought as he walked into the shop and saw her sitting there. All the wind was knocked out of his lungs and it took all he could muster not to run the other way. Her unruly blonde hair had fallen over one eye in a way that used to annoy him. All he could think about now, however, was smoothing it back behind her ear. He didn’t mean to stare but he couldn’t help it. He had not seen her in 2 years since they had broken up. His pulse was racing and his hands were clammy against the silk lining in his pockets. He did not know quite where to position his hands that would seem the most natural. The people around him were giving him strange looks for staring at her so intensely. She must have felt the burning intensity of his stare. She looked up. Their eyes met and the room dropped away. All the sounds, smells, and people were gone. For that second they were the only two people in the room.
Her blue eyes grayed with a haunted look as she broke visual contact. He panicked and turned to get into line for his espresso. He got the same thing every time, without fail. When the barista asked what he was having today he could not remember. The girl gave him a funny look and asked him if he was feeling all right. She had a worried look on her face a she plopped down his espresso and told him it was on the house. He managed a smile for the barista and turned back towards the front of the store, towards her. She seemed like she was deeply engrossed in her book, but he knew better. He moved towards her slowly, self consciously aware of the swishing sound his faded corduroys made.
He tapped her uncertainly on her shoulder and she almost jumped in surprise. He could tell she had not expected him to approach her. He noticed that two years had changed her, she looked more mature and her eyes seemed more guarded and thoughtful. She was wearing the same perfume he had given her two Christmases ago. Her eyes traveled up his neck to the puka shell necklace she had given him the same year. He shuffled his feet uncertain of what to say and how to phrase it. He could tell she was nervous the way she twirled her hair
They both opened their mouths at the same time to speak then closed them, letting the other person go first. Silence ensued. She pushed her hair off her face and asked him to go first. They chatted idly for a few minutes about nondescript subjects. Finally she asked him if anything exciting had happened in his life since they had last talked. His stomach knotted up, he clenched his teeth and ground them back and forth in one fluid motion. He decided it was only fair to tell her, but he did not know how. He found the right words and told her about the girl who was his fiancée and that he had asked her to marry him only yesterday. She smiled brightly at him and told him how happy she was. He knew her words were empty.
They both stopped and looked around in hopes that they did not make this moment any more awkward than it had to be. Both their eyes were veiled and haunted by the memories shared between them. He took his cue by the uncomfortable silence mounting. He did not say goodbye but they both knew this was it. He walked away and as he left he turned, their eyes met and he took her in for what they both knew was the last time