For the first time in a long time, he could see her before he could hear her. Clad in a pale lavender tea-length dress and matching cashmere cardigan, her appearance was as impeccable as always. One of his favorite things about her had always been how she paid attention to the smallest details that defined the essence of a woman – the heart-shaped rhinestone barrette holding back wisps of her dark silky hair, the sheer pink gloss applied to her pursed lips, the spontaneous glimmer apparent in her soulful eyes. Kelly Kapoor was an easy woman to love from afar.

When he hooked up with her nearly two years ago on the night before Valentine's Day, Ryan Howard had no idea that his life would be transformed forever. Between the incessant chatter about inane celebrity gossip to her high-pitched squeals when he did anything "cute," she worked her way into his life without his permission or even him really knowing it. It was almost as if one day he woke up and was half of a couple. It wasn't something he had planned or even really wanted. It was one of those things that just sort of happened to him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Then, an offer from the corporate offices of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in New York City changed all that. A simple call gave him the confidence he had lacked for much of his relationship with Kelly. Suddenly, he no longer felt trapped in a life he didn't choose. He was going to escape the perils of a job he hated, the traps of a girlfriend he didn't care about and a life he didn't want to have. This was his chance to get out of the future that scared him the most in Scranton.

All summer, Ryan had managed to convince himself that this was what he wanted. He had an entirely new life full of exciting opportunities that otherwise would have never come his way. With a modern loft on the Upper West Side, a $200 haircut from one of the finest salons in New York City and a closet full of designer clothes, this was the world he had dreamed about when he was at home in his dingy apartment, playing X-Box and listening to Kelly ramble about Britney Spears and Brad Pitt. Addicted to his BlackBerry and spending nights at the hottest clubs in the city, he fell easily into the fast lane but found himself incapable of enjoying it. No matter how hard he tried to be happy, there was still something missing.

And now, he was right back where he started, with butterflies in his stomach as he prepared to enter the Scranton office for the first time. Just like his first day as a temp, he was a bundle of nerves about returning to his former haunting ground as the new vice president of regional sales. While he looked forward to moving the company into a new era and making a name for himself professionally, he knew it was going to be hard to see make his co-workers see him as their boss. Even more than that, it was going to be hard to see Kelly again. They hadn't left on the best terms, and he had no one to blame for that but himself.

Peering through the glass, he watched as she stood at Pam's desk, tilting her head thoughtfully as she listened to the receptionist talk about something. His hand rested on the cool chrome surface of the door knob as he gazed at her, trying to figure out what had her so captivated. She leaned forward anxiously, resting her open palms on the desk in front of her. Jim sauntered over beside her, saying something that must have elicited a giggle. A wide grin spread across her face as she laughed, looking quickly between Pam and Jim As she started to look up, her eyes locked with his, instantly bringing her sunny disposition to an end.

Ryan watched as Kelly turned away slowly and deliberately, almost as if she was forcing herself to break their connection. In the past, he had been the one to look away first, but like many other things in his life, the norm had shifted. He could see her say something to her companions as Pam glanced up. A hand flew to cover her mouth, causing Jim to look over his shoulder. The lanky salesman shook his head sadly before resting his hand on the small of Kelly's back in a sign of silent comfort. Ryan tried to push away the thought that crept into his mind that told him that it should be his hand that was there.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to enter the office, well aware of the awkward air now settling in. Kelly raked her fingers through her hair self-consciously before plastering a small but fake smile on her painted lips. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly snapped it shut. Everything he had planned to say suddenly seemed stupid. Pam forced a warm smile while Jim positioned himself protectively between Kelly and Ryan. It was strangely unnerving to see the friendship dynamic between his ex-girlfriend and Jim.

"Good morning," Ryan finally managed, brushing his hand over his face to help himself regain his earlier confidence. "I'm sorry that I'm late. I was on the phone with my assistant back at the office. Things are crazy in New York."

"Hey, Ryan," Pam greeted him, aware that no one else was going to verbally acknowledge him. "It's good to have you back."

Ryan nodded thanks as he pulled out his vibrating BlackBerry. Quickly scanning the numerous emails waiting in his inbox, he decided that nothing was important enough to require his immediate attention. In reality, he was just trying to find a way to talk to Kelly without being awkward. He could feel her staring at him as he pretended to play with the electronic device. For the longest time, he had dreaded the feeling of her eyes on him. Only now did he realize how much he had missed it. As he shifted his eyes up to meet hers, he was surprised when she didn't turn away. "Hi, Ryan."

"Kelly," he replied plainly, trying to keep his devoid of any emotion. The last thing he wanted to do was give her false hope. "How are you?"

He wasn't sure what he expected, likely a bubbly ramble about the guys she was dating or whatever celebrity was making magazine covers that week. Instead, she kept her eyes focused on him. "Better than you apparently," she deadpanned, reading him easily. Well, at least she was still blunt. She didn't wait for him to reply before turning on her kitten heels and heading back toward her desk in the annex.

Glancing from Jim to Pam, Ryan bit his bottom lip sheepishly before following after her. "I don't know what you mean," he countered. "If you haven't noticed, I am doing quite well for myself. I'm happier in New York than I ever was in Scranton."

Kelly smirked as she shook her head sadly. "Keep telling yourself that," she muttered. "Other people might buy it, Ryan Howard, but I can see right through it. I saw it the moment you walked through that door. I've come to know those blue eyes better than my own. It was written all over your face."

Ryan was quickly becoming frustrated with her insightful accusations. "What happened to the girl who spent the last year telling me the differences between Shiloh and Suri?"

"What happened to the guy who would pretend not to know their names?" she asked. "I've spent the last two years waiting to see the look in your eyes that I saw today. I gave you everything, Ryan, and I never saw you look at me the way you just did. You had the chance to have everything, but you never thought that I was enough. I thought that you were everything, but you treated me like I was nothing."

"That's not fair," he argued.

"You're right, it's not fair," she agreed. "It's not fair that I dedicated so much of my time doing the things you liked because I loved you. How many nights did I watch you get drunk with your friends just so I could spend time with you? How many times did you call me in the middle of the night because you were scared? How many times did I pretend not to notice how you rolled your eyes at everything I said because of the rare moments when you would let your guard down?"

For once, Ryan had nothing to say. Flashes of those small moments flashed in his mind. There was the double date they had gone on with Pam and the cartoonist. Though Kelly had spent most of the night force feeding him ketchup, the moment that stuck out the most to him was when Kelly leaned her head on his shoulder. It was the first time he could remember feeling like maybe that was where she belonged. "You were never nothing, Kelly," he tried. "You're still not. We just wanted different things. My life is in New York now, and yours is here."

"Do you remember the Christmas party last year?" she asked, ignoring his feeble attempt at convincing her that he had made the right decision.

"Sure, Michael and Andy invited those two Asian waitresses."

"You want to know what I remember?" Kelly inquired. "I remember watching you let go of the person you thought you should be and allow yourself to be the person you actually are. You were so cute when you lip synced to the Alanis Morissette song. It was a small moment and I'm sure no one else remembers it, but it's something I will never forget. Just like I'll never forget when you danced with me in the corner, your forehead pressed against mine as you wrapped your arms around me. You can pretend all you want to that you never loved me, Ryan, but I know that you did. Those moments, they remind me that you did."