Soulmate (Chapter 1) It had been 3 years, almost to the day that he'd left. She had tried, but she couldn't erase that date, it was etched into her mind forever. September 11th 2001. How could she possibly forget that date? The whole world had watched in complete horror as The Twin Towers had tumbled down, the tallest buildings in New York reduced to rubble in mere minutes. It just didn't seem real. She had a very strange notion that his leaving had caused the Towers to be destroyed, it was so apt, how could the world carry on as normal when her heart had been destroyed? Together, she and the world mourned. She knew that September 11th meant tragedy, shock and grief, and that's exactly how she felt. She knew it was selfish, knew that a monumental, Earth shattering event was so much more important than a common break up, but how could she grieve for people she'd never met when all of her energy was taken up in grieving for her lost love? And now, 3 years later, in her favourite book shop, he was standing there. As she turned into the aisle, enjoying a Sunday afternoon browse, her knees buckled. Her breath caught in her throat and she had an overwhelming urge to turn and run. Or to throw up. He hadn't spotted her yet, buried in George Orwell, he was quite oblivious to the fact that his past had just entered his present. "George Orwell?!," she thought, stunned that a man whose idea of reading was flicking through the sports section of The Sun looked so engrossed in 1984. He'd always teased her about her love of books. "My little bookworm," he'd joke, "I don't know why we just don't watch the film, it's much less hassle." His disdain for literature had been fine at first, he had other interests and it was normal for couples to enjoy different hobbies. But towards the end, she'd sacrificed her reading for him, just as she'd sacrificed her friends, her family, anything in her #life that didn't suit or include him was eradicated. What should she do? She could attempt to creep back round the corner, while he was still engrossed, could aim to walk past him and hope he didn't notice her, or she could confidently strut past him, and if he noticed her she'd say "Hello, long time no see, no, sorry I can't stay and chat, I'm meeting my fiancée for lunch.", flash her very expensive engagement ring and saunter off. She wanted to do this so much, yet could she? Was she that strong, independent woman? He'd reduced her to a quivering shadow, yet Andy had built her back up, and her self esteem gradually grew. "Right, you can do it, you can do it, look him straight in those gorgeous, no, in those lying green eyes of his and smile." Thank God she was meeting her mother, she'd actually made an effort with her outfit, her hair and her make up today. She looked good. She strutted up the Classics aisle as if it were a catwalk, she flicked her chestnut hair and glanced at him. "Shit," she thought, he hadn't noticed. "Just keep walking, probably for the best that he..." "Lily?!", a stunned voice murmured behind her. "I can't believe it, how long has it been now?" Lily turned around to face her past.