Bella's loud shout burst through the quiet morning, so sudden that even the curtains seemed to tremble with the sound. "Oh my god!" she cried, clutching her phone with both hands as her eyes grew wide and sparkling. The moment she unlocked the screen, the messages appeared. An unknown number that was not unknown at all. Her mouth fell open.
Theo.
Her guitar teacher.
Her old friend.
Her safe person during the hardest days.
He had messaged her. And he was coming back.
A breathless laugh escaped her and she bounced on the mattress like a tiny excited rabbit, her small feet thumping softly against the bed. "Oh my god, he's coming back! He actually texted me! Theo is coming back!"
Leo, who had been standing near the vanity adjusting his watch, froze mid-movement. The strap hung loosely between his fingers as he turned slowly, eyebrows rising at the sudden explosion of happiness behind him. Hearing her squeal again, he stepped forward with a confused frown tightening his features.
