Nathan had expected a lot of things when he returned to Seabrook—the smell of salt in the air, the sound of gulls circling the docks, the way the late-afternoon sun made the whole town glow gold. What he hadn't expected was the sudden tightness in his chest when he saw Eliza again.

She looked the same, yet different. Her auburn hair was longer, her cheeks slightly more defined, but the way she smiled—shy and warm, with a hint of nervous energy—was exactly as he remembered. Standing in the library, with the faint scent of old books and the soft hum of Mia's chatter in the background, it felt like time had both stopped and sped forward all at once.

"So... you're back," Eliza said, her voice light but tinged with something he couldn't quite place.

Nathan shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, suddenly unsure of what to do with them. "Yeah. Just for a while. Figured it was time to visit home."

Home. The word felt strange on his tongue. Could Seabrook still be considered home after everything?

Mia clapped her hands together, breaking the awkward pause. "Alright, you two, don't mind me. I'll just... go over there and pretend not to eavesdrop." She winked at Eliza, grabbed her coffee, and sauntered off to a corner of the library.

Eliza bit her lip, clearly suppressing a laugh. "Some things never change," she murmured.

Nathan chuckled, the sound easing the tension between them. "Guess not."

For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other. Nathan's eyes roamed over the familiar curve of her smile, the freckles scattered across her nose. She was still Eliza—his Liza—but there was a hesitation in her gaze that hadn't been there before.

"Do you want to grab coffee or something?" he asked, surprising himself with the sudden question. "Catch up?"

Eliza blinked, clearly caught off guard, but then nodded. "Sure. There's a new café down the street. I mean, you probably don't know it. It opened last year—Mia's place."

"Mia owns a café?" Nathan raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. "That's new."

"She's been busy," Eliza said with a small smile. "A lot's changed since you left."

Her words lingered in the air, heavy with meaning.

Flashback: The Night Before He Left

Five years ago, they'd stood on the beach, the moonlight casting shadows across the sand. Nathan had told her he was leaving for New York, his voice filled with excitement and a tinge of nervousness.

"You're going to be amazing," Eliza had said, her voice steady even though her chest ached.

"I'll write," Nathan promised. "Call. Send you pictures of every place I visit."

She nodded, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. "You better."

But as the weeks turned into months, and his life in New York consumed him, the postcards dwindled. The calls became infrequent. Eliza had told herself it was normal—they were just growing apart. But deep down, it felt like losing a part of herself she hadn't realized she couldn't live without.

Present Day: The Café

The café was warm and inviting, with mismatched chairs and the faint aroma of cinnamon in the air. Mia had outdone herself, Nathan thought, as he glanced around.

They sat by the window, nursing their drinks as the conversation started to flow more easily.

"So," Eliza said, stirring her tea. "New York. Tell me everything. What's it like living there?"

Nathan hesitated. How could he explain the chaos of the city—the noise, the crowds, the way it made him feel both alive and completely adrift? "It's... different," he finally said. "Fast-paced. Exciting. But sometimes, it felt like I couldn't catch my breath. That's part of why I came back."

Eliza studied him, her green eyes searching his face. "I always thought you'd love it there. You used to talk about how much you wanted to see the world."

"I did," he admitted. "And I do. But... it's not the same without—" He stopped himself, looking down at his coffee. "It's just not the same."

Eliza's cheeks flushed, but she didn't press him. Instead, she offered a small smile. "I'm glad you're back. Even if it's just for a while."

Her words warmed him more than he expected, and for the first time in a long while, Nathan felt like he could breathe again.

But as they talked, the unspoken questions lingered between them. Why had he stopped writing? Why hadn't she reached out? And what were they supposed to be now, after all this time?

Nathan didn't know the answers, but as he sat there across from Eliza, he realized he was finally ready to find out.