THE HEARTBREAK ANTHOLOGY | w. soot

right where you left me (no choice but to stay here forever)

SUMMARY — wilbur sees you, his ex, at your favourite café three years after breaking up with you
WARNINGS — angst, hurt/no comfort, a little fluff
WORD COUNT — 2,281
SONG — right where you left me - taylor swift

It's been ages since Wilbur's been back to the Harbour Café - over three years, to be exact. He felt like he was an entirely different person compared to the last time he walked through the door, and he wasn't sure if it was for the better or for the worse.

The last time he was here, he was with you. Just a boy, barely a man, with the woman he loved. There was nothing special to the outing - classes were cancelled due to a strike and you both slept in, spending an hour just laying together in bed before getting breakfast here. You had insisted on getting a cupcake despite it being mid-morning, and he couldn't help but wonder if things would always be like this for him.

Now, he was walking in as a famous streamer, working on an album with his band. It was the entire reason he was in town, after all. Well, that and to visit George.

Near silence filled the café, aside from the chatter of the few patrons and employees that mixed with the music and machinery operating behind the counter. It felt odd to be back, like Wilbur didn't know where to stand, put his hands, or what to do with himself. His eyes wandered for a place to sit, and in the back corner, he spotted someone he didn't think he'd ever see again.

You were sitting in a booth at the back wall, tucked closely into the corner of the café, near the pastry case. The sun shone in through the windows, highlighting you as you turned the page of a book - one that Wilbur recognised instantly. It was your favourite. In fact, it was the special edition he bought for you for your birthday; the last one you spent with him. The only thing on the table in front of you was a mug.

Like there was some invisible string pulling him along, Wilbur moved past the counter entirely, and quietly slid into the seat across from you. It was an idiotic thing to do, especially with how things ended, but he couldn't help it. He needed to talk to you, even if it didn't end well. He needed to have just one more conversation with you.

You barely registered that someone had sat across from you, but when you finished the page you were reading and glanced up, an immediate shock of pain jolted through your chest. Your mouth ran dry as you tried to process the sheepish look on Wilbur's face as he sat across from you with his hands tucked into his lap.

Swallowing, you finally gained the will to say something, but all you could say was his name. It broke coming out, quiet and breathless, like a final whisper of a life left behind, haunting.

"Didn't know you were still around," he said, voice small.

You nodded, sliding an old receipt into the book and placing it on the table, next to your full cup of coffee - definitely cold by now. You had yet to touch it. You never did. You never would. "I, uh, decided to stick around. Couldn't bring myself to go, I suppose."

"I get it," he nodded, gnawing on his lip and avoiding your gaze. When he finally did look up, you could barely maintain eye contact. "How've, uh-" he cleared his throat, speaking louder, "how've you been?"

"As good as I can be." You shrugged.

"That's good." Wilbur muttered, nodding his head as he pursed his lips. He didn't know what to say. "How's everything been?" He said it slowly, like he was unsure of his words.

"Uh- good, I think. I'm working now, doing well with that. My sister's married now; had a baby in June."

Wilbur's brow raised, a smile slowly taking over his face. "Has she? I always liked Mark. Wonderful lad."