Tara knew she was hallucinating. She had to be. It was the only explanation that made sense. Rick couldn’t actually be there. She was losing it. 

He seemed real though. He talked to her, and dear god the feel of him against her back felt real. 

But she couldn’t trust his words. If he was real, he was lying because he didn’t care about her. No more than he ever did. 

She broke away from him, cold coating her back with the loss of him. She admonished her traitorous body for wanting him pushed against it again and tossed Rick a glare sure to make his calls shrivel. 

Rick took his sweet ass time meeting her eyes, enough time for her to do a quick assessment of him. He’s changed since she’d last seen him. His shoulders were broader, his waist narrower. His face had sharpened with age as well, his once angular jaw softened with stubble and lines that spoke of time in the sun and laughter. Lots of laughter. 

Tara immediately believed he had to be married and glanced down for a ring. 

“I’ve never been,” Rick said, breaking through Tara’s internal thoughts. 

“Been what?”

Rick finally met her eyes, compassion and desire muddying the already brown color. “Married,” Rick clarified. “I never met anyone I could see spending my life with. At least, not after I left here.” 

Tara sucked in a breath, his words cinching her throat tight. Could she dare to dream he was talking about her? 

No. He couldn’t be. If he was he never would have left. 

Right? 

She did demand he leave. But if he loved her he would have fought for her. 

Dammit, why was he back?