❧R E M O R S E ❧ [the sequel]

❧one❧

N A R R A T I O N
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"Iced coffee; no whipped cream for Dawn?" the barista calls out; holding an iced drink in the palm of her hands as the condensation drips down the side

"That's me" Dawn says as she walks over to the front and goes to claim her order when she hears another name recited.

"Dark Macchiato for Mattia" another barista says calmly. Dawn's eyes light up; causing her to almost be frozen in time.

Dawn hadn't heard of that name in.. years. Almost six. She had tried to erase it from her mind; which meant she'd forced herself to forget the memory of him. The man who's heart she broke. The man who gave her everything including a home to stay in while she had nowhere to go. The man who claimed he loved her.

How blinded she was by her closed mindset... she was able to break his heart. She knew she did because she had done it before and he had done it back to her as well.

They were both heartbreakers. That was a similarity between them. But it didn't mean it made it easier on her. She hated herself for hurting him

Ever since childhood they were lovers. But that all came to a halt as most good things do

But she had erased the thought of him from her mind. And it was only now, that she had to come to terms with that memory again

Her fingers fall to her sides as she turns her head a little; enough to see the opposite end of the room.

A tall figure of a man with darkened hair and long slim hands with wide fingers. She grabs her drink and instantly thanks the barista as she goes to turn to the door when she comes in contact with another body; and is met with her cold coffee spilled all over the floor and all over her shirt.

Her mouth goes agape as she lifts her head slowly. And then she's more shocked by what she sees standing in front of her.

"I'm so sorr-" the man says with his deepened voice. But he's cut off by his thoughts when he also recognizes her face. And then his concern falls. Into nervousness and sadness.

Mattia had never in his life believed that he would spot her again. None the less, in his own home town. How could she leave without him.. and take his child with her. He cried for weeks. Months. Years. He fell into a chronic mental state where he had isolated himself from the world.

He was broken

But clearly she was fine to him. Was it that easy to break his heart? Does she feel no shame; returning to Jersey after six years of leaving him hurt and about to take his own life?

Other than the coffee that had just been spilt all over her, she was fine. Which angered him.

It had come as a relief to him that she wasn't hurt or worse. He still loved her in that way. But he wouldn't let himself grasp onto the chance to see her in that light anymore. She was just his ex. Yes. She was dead to him

"Oh my god" Dawn whispers softly enough for only herself to hear

"I-it's you" Mattia says. His immediate instinct is to hug her. Embrace her. Like he had done years ago. But he hesitated and set his hands in his pockets; remembering they were not lovers anymore

Wordless, but needing to say something all Dawn can reply with is "I'm sorry"

Mattia lowers his head, ashamed and disappointed and leaves the coffee mess on the ground as he walks out of the store. He rushes over to his car and pulls his keys out of his pocket; trying to forget he had ever seen her in that Starbucks.

He couldn't have seen her.. that couldn't have been her. That couldn't have been Dawn. The girl he loved. The girl that said she loved him.

She broke him. And it seems so easy for her to do that and not call or text for days. Even after he had left her several messages. But they had gone unreplied to.

"I'm sorry!" She yells and he turns, shocked to see her standing not so far from him. About a few feet

"You're okay"

"Yes" she says with tears in her eyes that glisten under the sunlight. "I'm fine"

"How-" he places his hands at the bridge of his nose and looks up at her. "Why did you leave"

"Mattia-"

"How could you leave? How could you leave me like that?"

"Mattia you don't understand" she says with fear trilling in her throat

"What do I not understand? That you left with my child?"

"You really don't understand"

"In the middle of the night ? You ran away without saying goodbye. You ran from me when all I did was love you!"

"I had to do it. I didn't want to, I had to"

"Why!" He yells; noticing he caught the woman off guard. Her eyes widen fearfully but he doesn't care. "Why did you leave me!" His eyes fill with tears

"Please just understand I didn't want this to happen"

"Oh really" he scoffs. "Where is she"

"Where is who?"

"My fucking child! Where is she!"

"She's with a friend right now" Dawn says in her most cautious tone; knowing this man could hit her or hurt her. He could've changed just as much as she did.

He's not the same man he used to be. He used to be a teenage boy with unethical values that connoted to hers. She too, had grown into her own person.

"I want to see her"

"You can't" she says

"I can't?" He shakes his head. "I will go to court to get my custody over her if it's the last thing I do-"

"She's not yours!" She yells. And at that moment, a spark had just been set off. The beginning of something bad. Something that Dawn knew she couldn't hide any longer. The child wasn't his.

"W-what?" He takes a step back

"She's not yours!" She cries. "I had to leave because she wasn't yours! Okay! Are you fucking happy!" She wipes her tears

But Mattia is at a loss of words. He stands; as if feeling the floor beneath him collapse as his world did years ago.

"I-I'm sorry, it shouldn't have ended that way!" She yells. "Mattia answer me!"

He looks up as he pulls on the lever of his car. "You're not the girl you used to be"

And then shutting the door in her face as she cries, he drives off.