Push to the Limit (the sixth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 26: Jyder

"I thought we should talk," said Julie, staring at Ryder. There weren't very many people at the bar yet, so she wondered if he would take the time to hear her out and really fix everything that had gone wrong between them. She watched anxiously as he made his way around the bar and towards her.

["When We Were Young" by Adele.]

Ryder: Everybody loves the things you do. From the way you talk to the way you move. 

He looked around and saw that the few people that were already there were watching them. It made sense; she had gotten a lot more famous in the last few months and this was her first public appearance in Lima, where she was now a figure of pride.

Ryder: Everybody here is watching you. 'Cause you feel like home. You're like a dream come true.

Julie followed his gaze, thinking for a second that perhaps one of their friends or his new girlfriend was there. She wanted badly to take him out of there, somewhere private where they could talk the way they did when they were friends.

Julie: But if by chance you're here alone. Can I have a moment before I go? 'Cause I've been by myself all night long. Hoping you're someone I used to know.

But he walked away before he got to her, stopping with his back turned.

Julie: You look like a movie.

And she realized it was the same behavior he showed when they broke up senior year. The same behavior that had almost made her hate him in the past.

Ryder: You sound like a song... My God, this reminds me of when we were young.

He turned back around, making her wonder if there was a possibility that they could mend their broken bridges and get back to when they were able to stand in the same room. 

Julie: Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized.

Ryder let out a deep breath as he walked back towards her and took a seat beside her. 

Both: We were sad of getting old. It made us restless. 

His face softened and she saw hope. 

Ryder: It was just like a movie. 

But with that hope, she also felt guilt. She had caused this, after all. 

Julie: It was just like a song.

And now they were just sitting there, neither of them knowing what to say to the other.

Ryder: I was so scared to face my fears. Nobody told me that you'd be here. And I swear you moved overseas... That's what you said, when you left me...

Julie wasn't sure what to do next. She had been expecting a big fight, an intense confrontation, a public scene perhaps. But neither of them seemed to have the energy for that anymore.

Ryder: You still look like a movie. You still sound like a song. My God, this reminds me of when we were young.

Ryder looked up at her and as soon as he saw the expression on her face, he realized what a jerk he had been to her all day. All the things he'd said and posted online. She didn't deserve it. 

Both: Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized we were sad of getting old.

But neither of them had control anymore. They weren't thinking of each other but of themselves.

Julie: It made us restless.