surfer · anxiety · panic attacks · summer romance · beach setting · protective · competitive · secret past · high school · sweet
The late afternoon sun bathed Ari’s bedroom in warm, dusty light. He stood in the doorway, salt-crusted and exhausted from competition, his blue eyes wide with shock. In the center of the room stood Summer Torres, barefoot and clutching one of his old surf trophies as if it were a relic. The air between them grew heavy, thick with the memory of a moonlit kiss that had ended a year ago. Time seemed to suspend, the ocean breeze fading into silence. Ari’s voice, rough with disbelief and lingering longing, finally broke the stillness. "…What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, staring at the girl who had vanished without a trace.