I Had Crossed the Finish Line When He Chased Me

The guy I looked up to fell in love with a reckless little rebel.

He said being with her gave him a kind of thrill he had never felt before.

For her, he smoked and drank.

For her, he got into fights and skipped classes.

For her, he abandoned me at the scene of a crash without even looking at me.

Later, I left my hometown and moved to another city.

I never imagined that seven years later, we’d meet again at a prestigious conference.

I thought he must have long since married that wild girl from high school.

Yet he came rushing to me, gripping my arm as if I’d slip away again.