The golden sun of Perth melted into the horizon, casting peach-pink streaks across the sky like it was welcoming someone back home. The wind was soft, whispering secrets through eucalyptus trees, and the city felt… slower. Softer. Warmer.
Arden Hayes leaned his head against the car window, watching the familiar streets blur past. It had been years since he last stepped foot here — back when summer smelled like grandma's shortbread cookies and his biggest worry was losing a cricket match in the backyard. Now, at nineteen, the air felt the same… but everything else had changed.
Perth wasn't a vacation anymore. It was permanent. His grandparents were gone, their cozy home now his family's new beginning. His dad still had one foot in London for business, but Arden knew this was their reset button.
And her.
He didn't say it out loud, but she was the first thing he thought of when they landed.
Elara.
The girl with cloud-soft skin, moonlit eyes, and a giggle that still echoed in his memories like windchimes. They'd been childhood best friends—the kind parents teased about being future soulmates. He remembered the popsicle fights, the pinky promises, the time she called him her "London Prince" even though he had braces.
Now she was eighteen, and he hadn't seen her in four years.
Would she still remember their secret hideout by the lake?
Would she recognize him at all?
He pulled out his phone, fingers hesitating. Her contact was still saved as "Elara ☁️🍓", the strawberry emoji a remnant of her obsession back then.
He stared at the name, then locked his phone again with a sigh.
He'd see her tomorrow.
He just hoped she hadn't outgrown him.
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