The same smile that had once made me believe in forever.

Neither of us moved.

For one brief moment, our eyes locked.

Seven years disappeared.

Then, just as quickly, I looked away.

My heart pounded so hard I was certain everyone around us could hear it.

Without thinking, my hand drifted toward the necklace hidden beneath my dress.

My fingers stopped just before they reached the pendant.

No.

I couldn't let him see.

I slowly lowered my hand back to my side.

It had become a habit over the years.

Whenever I was nervous...

Whenever I was anxious...

Whenever I was trying not to fall apart...

My fingers always found that little silver pendant.

It grounded me.

It reminded me to breathe.

Tonight, for the first time in years, I had to stop myself.

Somehow, it felt too vulnerable.

I finally looked at him again.

He looked...

Good.

No.

He looked *really* good.

He was dressed entirely in black, a fitted dress shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, tailored slacks, polished dress shoes.

Simple.

Classic.

Effortlessly handsome.

His hair was cut short, clean around the sides.

The same disciplined haircut I'd teased him about years ago.

From what I could tell, he might still be in the military.

His shoulders were broader now.

His arms filled out the sleeves of his shirt in a way they never had before.

He'd put on muscle.

Time had been kind to him.

Very kind.

His dark eyes never left mine.

I wondered...

Was he studying me too?

Did he notice my hair was a little longer?

Or was he noticing everything that hadn't changed?

I suddenly became painfully aware of myself.

The simple black dress.

The sensible heels.

The fact that I'd spent the last hour convinced I looked like I was headed to church instead of a nightclub.

I wished I'd put a little more effort into getting ready.

Not because I wanted to impress him.

At least...

That's what I told myself.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Darlene.

She'd completely forgotten she'd dragged me over here.

She was across the room now, laughing with the guy she'd met earlier, the two of them already dancing together like they'd known each other for years.

That was Darlene.

She could make a new best friend anywhere.

Which meant...

She'd unknowingly left me alone with the one person I'd spent seven years trying to forget.

The silence stretched between us.

The guy who'd tried to flirt with me earlier looked back and forth between us.

"You guys know each other?"

Neither of us answered.

I wasn't sure either of us could.

My mind was still trying to catch up with what my eyes were seeing.

He took one slow step closer.

Not too close.

Just enough that I could hear him over the music.

For a moment, I wondered if he was just as nervous as I was.

Then a familiar smile spread across his face.

The same smile that had once made me believe in forever.

He looked me in the eyes and quietly said,

"It's nice to see you again."