We reach the counter, and Hilda looks up, closing her book with a knowing smile.
“Hi girls. Anna, you’re here for the books for the kids, right?”
“Hi, Hilda. Yup! They’re getting antsy now that spring is here, and summer break is right around the corner. I’m hoping this will keep them engaged.”
“You got it. Twenty-six copies of Holes by Louis Sachar coming right up.” She stands, making her way to the back room to grab the books.
Leaning against the counter, I glance at Anna. “Holes? I loved that book as a kid. That’s a great pick.”
“Yeah, I want to do an in-class read-along, and then, when we’re finished, I’ll let them watch the movie as a treat.”
I grin. “Okay, world’s greatest teacher, I love that. Remember when we were kids, the rush of excitement when we saw the teacher rolling the TV into the classroom?”
Anna throws her head back, laughing. “The best days! Now, my kids won’t get that, but they will get the excitement of seeing me put the movie on the projector.”
“Not the same, but still iconic.”
Hilda finally returns, balancing a large box of books in her arms. Just as she’s about to hand them to Anna, the doorbell chimes. A little girl runs in, her sneakers skidding against the hardwood floors.
Something about her feels… familiar. I can’t quite place it. Then, I hear footsteps behind her.
A man steps inside. And the second I look up, all the air whooshes from my lungs. My fingers tighten on the counter. A jolt of recognition shoots through me, sharp and unforgiving. My stomach clenches, my heart thudding against my ribs as my brain scrambles to catch up with what my eyes are seeing.
I know that face.
I know that face.
Oh my God.
Sebastian. My first love. My first everything.
He comes strutting into the store like he owns the entire damn world. Broad-shouldered, commanding, and looking even better than the last time I laid eyes on him. Gone is the boy I left behind all those years ago. The Sebastian standing in front of me now is all man.
Six foot four of pure strength and confidence. His tawny brown skin, deep, warm, and smooth as caramel, glows under the soft shop lighting, like the sun has permanently kissed every inch of him.
His thick, dark brows are just as expressive as I remember, always framing those intense, soul-piercing chocolate brown eyes—eyes that used to look at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.
His hair, once a little unruly, is still dark and wavy, but now it’s got this effortless, perfectly imperfect look, like he just ran a hand through it and somehow it fell into place, messy in a way that makes me want to run my fingers through it.
And that jaw, strong, angular, dusted with the perfect amount of stubble. I used to run my fingers along it, feeling the slight roughness beneath my touch, loving the way he’d smirk when I did.
Instinctively, my eyes drift lower. He was always athletic, but now? Now his body is all hard muscle and smooth control. His broad chest fills out his shirt, the sleeves straining just slightly around his thick, sculpted biceps. His shoulders? Massive. Powerful. I swallow hard.
As if he feels my eyes drinking him in, I see his biceps flex slightly, a subtle movement, but I don’t miss it. My heart skips. I haven’t seen him since our high school graduation.
We had been together since sophomore year. Inseparable, in love, convinced we were forever. But I was leaving, and Sebastian was staying. He had his dreams, and I had mine—and no matter how much we loved each other, I couldn’t ask him to wait.
So I broke his heart. I broke my heart.
I could have given us one last summer. One more season of midnight walks on the beach, tangled limbs in the backseat of his car, his heartbeat steady beneath my palm, his lips whispering my name like a prayer, but I thought it would be easier this way.
That giving ourselves the summer to heal would be better than dragging out the inevitable. I’ll never forget the way he looked at me that night.
One second, he was smiling, hopeful, talking about our future. The next? His entire face shut down. It was the first time I had ever seen Sebastian cry. And it was all because of me. God, it shattered me. But I told myself I had done the right thing. I had to believe that.
And now, looking at him? Looking at the little girl by his side? It seems like I was right. He got the life he wanted. The family, the stability, the happiness. And if breaking his heart back then led him to this, then it was worth it. Even if seeing him now makes my own heart ache as if I never left.
“Seb!” Hilda calls out, waving Sebastian over.
