Chapter 1 Back to Rosebay

The town hadn't changed.

It still smelled like salt, lavender, and quiet promises. The cobbled road leading into Rosebay curved gently like it was guiding her back into the past-into memories she had tried to bury. Olivia Bennett stepped out of the cab, her boots crunching on the gravel as the early evening sun painted the shop windows golden.

Rosebay wasn't just any town. It was home. And yet... she hadn't felt at home in years.

Her eyes traveled across familiar places: the bakery where she used to sneak pastries, the church bell that rang at noon, and finally-Petal & Bloom, her grandmother's flower shop. The sign was chipped now, the pink fading into white. The windows were dusty, curtains drawn. The whole building looked like it had been holding its breath, waiting for her.

The cab pulled away behind her, leaving Olivia in the stillness.

For a moment, she stood there, the weight of her past and present pushing on her shoulders. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a worn key. Her hand trembled slightly as she placed it into the lock.

The door creaked open like it remembered her.

Inside, sunlight cut through the dust, casting warm light on the wooden floors. Shelves stood empty, and dried petals curled in forgotten corners. In the back corner was her grandmother's rocking chair, still tilted slightly to the left-just how she used to leave it after morning tea.

Olivia closed the door behind her, the silence echoing like a whisper.

"Nana... I'm sorry I left."

She crossed the room, dragging her fingers along the dusty counter. Every inch of this place held memories: birthday bouquets, prom corsages, whispered secrets. And Lucas Hale.

Lucas.

She hadn't said his name aloud in years, but it clung to her like perfume. Sweet. Unavoidable.

Flashback – Seven Years Ago

Summer. Her skin sun-kissed, her hands stained with pollen from a dozen bouquets. She was seventeen, barefoot on the shop floor, laughing as Lucas leaned against the counter, twirling a rose in his hand.

"You know roses mean love, right?" he'd said, teasing.

"You planning to fall in love with me, Hale?"

"Already have."

She remembered the heat in her cheeks, the panic in her chest. She never told him how much that moment meant. She left for the city a month later without a word.

End Flashback

Back in the present, a creak behind her pulled Olivia from the memory.

She turned sharply. The front door had opened again.

A tall man stepped inside, letting the fading light stretch around him like an old friend. His eyes-steel blue with hints of gray-landed on her.

Lucas Hale.

Five years had changed him. His once-boyish face was now carved with stronger lines. He wore a simple dark shirt and jeans, but there was a quiet confidence in his stance. He wasn't the teenage dreamer anymore.

"Didn't think you'd actually come back," he said, voice deeper now, rough like gravel.

Olivia swallowed. "Lucas."

He let the silence hang between them like unfinished business.

"You left," he said finally. "No goodbye. No letter."

"I know."

"Rosebay isn't the kind of place you just walk away from, Olivia."

"I didn't walk away," she said softly, meeting his gaze. "I ran."

A pause. The sound of her grandmother's clock ticking from the back room.

Lucas stepped closer. "Why?"

Her throat tightened. How could she explain everything? The betrayal in the city, the woman she fell in love with who shattered her heart, the shame she carried after her breakdown. The feeling that she wasn't enough-for anyone.

"I was trying to find something," she said instead.

"Did you?"

She looked down. "No."

Lucas nodded slowly. "She loved you, you know. Your grandmother. She talked about you like you hung the moon."

"She left me the shop."

"I figured."

"She believed I could fix it. Fix... myself."

Lucas tilted his head, studying her. "Can you?"

Olivia looked around the dusty shop. "I want to try."

Something softened in his expression.

"I could help," he offered. "The place needs repairs. New shelves, better lighting. I could build you something beautiful."

She hesitated. "Why would you help me?"

He didn't answer right away. Then:

"Because you were the girl I wanted. And maybe... I never stopped."

Her breath hitched. The air between them grew heavier, charged with something old and unfinished.

"I'll think about it," she whispered.

He turned to leave. "I'll come by tomorrow. If you're serious."

As he opened the door, he paused. "You look different."

"Older?"

He glanced back. "Wiser. And a little sad."

Then he was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

Olivia stood alone, blinking back tears. She hadn't expected this much emotion to hit her so quickly. The shop, the memories, him. It was overwhelming.

She walked to the window and opened it. Cool wind rushed in, tousling her curls. She inhaled deeply, the scent of rosewood and saltwater filling her lungs.

Maybe it wasn't just the shop that needed fixing.

Maybe it was her.

And maybe Lucas wasn't just part of her past. Maybe he was part of the story she hadn't finished writing.