The afternoon sunlight spilled through the window of the small café, painting golden streaks on Aria Benson’s journal. She stared at the empty page, her pen poised in the air, motionless. The words that usually came easily to her seemed to have taken a vacation. With a sigh, she pushed her hair out of her face, smudging a dot of ink onto her cheek in the process.
“Writer’s block again?” Maggie Thompson slid into the seat across from her, clutching a caramel latte in one hand and a tattered paperback in the other. Her sharp green eyes sparkled with playful judgment.
“It’s not writer’s block,” Aria mumbled, avoiding her best friend’s smirk. “It’s… creative hibernation.”
“Sure, let’s call it that,” Maggie teased. She glanced at the untouched croissant on Aria’s plate. “Seriously, though. You’ve been staring at that page for the last twenty minutes. Do I need to start prodding you with inspiration?”
Aria rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “It’s not that easy, Maggie. My brain feels like it’s stuck in quicksand. Every time I try to pull an idea out, it just… sinks.”
“Maybe you need a change of scenery. Or, better yet, a change of pace. When’s the last time you left this town for something fun?” Maggie asked, leaning forward.
Aria waved her pen vaguely in the air. “Define fun.”
“Exactly my point,” Maggie shot back.
Aria tried to laugh, but her voice cracked under the weight of a lingering melancholy. It wasn’t just the rejection letters piling up at her apartment. It wasn’t just the monotony of balancing part-time teaching and late nights writing. Deep down, she knew what was haunting her. Or rather, who.
Liam Carlisle.
The thought of his name alone sent a ripple through her chest, stirring emotions she’d buried for years. She didn’t want to admit how often she thought about him, how many nights she’d lain awake wondering what might have been.
“Earth to Aria?” Maggie waved her hand in front of her face, snapping her out of the trance. “You disappeared there for a second.”
“Sorry,” Aria muttered, setting her pen down. “I’m just tired, I guess.”
Maggie studied her carefully, her teasing demeanor softening. “Look, whatever’s going on, you don’t have to carry it alone. I know you’re good at playing the ‘I’m fine’ card, but I can see through it. If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me.”
Aria nodded, grateful but unwilling to dive into the tangled mess of her feelings just yet.
Later that evening, Aria trudged home through the crisp autumn air, her messenger bag digging into her shoulder. She kicked at a stray leaf on the sidewalk, her thoughts swirling in an endless loop of self-doubt and longing.
When she entered her apartment, the familiar warmth of the space did little to comfort her. She tossed her bag onto the couch and collapsed beside it, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She reached for it lazily, expecting another email from a publisher with the same polite rejection she’d grown used to. Instead, it was Maggie again.
Maggie: “Turn on the radio. Now.”
Aria frowned but reached for the small radio on the kitchen counter. She twisted the dial until the station Maggie always recommended crackled to life.
“…and here’s the latest single from rock legend Liam Carlisle, titled Falling Back to You.”
The moment the first chord played, Aria froze. The melody was hauntingly familiar, like a dream she couldn’t quite remember. As Liam’s voice poured through the speakers, rich and raw, her heart clenched.
The lyrics hit her like a tidal wave:
“I chased the stars, but they burned too bright,
The only warmth I found was in your light…”
She sank into the chair, her hands trembling. It couldn’t be. The words were too personal, too specific. She felt as if he’d reached across the years, directly into her soul, and pulled her feelings into the open.
The song played on repeat in her head all night, even as she tried to push it away. When sleep finally claimed her, it brought dreams she’d long tried to forget. Dreams of a younger Aria, laughing in the glow of fairy lights at a college party, her hand intertwined with Liam’s as they danced.
The next day, she walked into her classroom at the local college with heavy eyes and an even heavier heart. Her students, a small group of aspiring writers, were already seated, their notebooks open.
“Morning,” she said, setting her bag on the desk and pulling out a stack of papers. “Today, we’re going to talk about the importance of vulnerability in storytelling.”
As she spoke, she caught herself glancing out the window, her thoughts drifting to Liam. What was he doing now? Did he even remember her?
Across the country, Liam Carlisle was pacing the length of his sprawling hotel suite, his hands buried in his hair. The song had been a risk, a confession wrapped in melody. He’d written it during a particularly lonely night on tour, the memory of Aria too strong to ignore.
His manager’s voice broke through his thoughts. “It’s a hit, Liam. Fans are eating it up. You’ll want to include it in the setlist for the next show.”
Liam nodded absently, staring out the window at the city lights. None of it mattered if she didn’t hear it.
The universe, however, had plans.
A week later, at a charity gala neither of them wanted to attend, their paths crossed again. Aria was there as a favor to Maggie, who had begged her to step in as a guest speaker. Liam was there to support a friend’s foundation, though he felt out of place in the sea of glittering gowns and tuxedos.
Their eyes met across the room, and time seemed to stop.
Liam’s breath caught in his throat. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, her auburn hair catching the light, her hazel eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and caution.
Aria’s heart pounded as he approached. The years melted away, leaving only the boy she once knew and the man he had become.
“Aria,” he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken words.
“Liam,” she replied, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
Neither of them knew it yet, but this moment would be the start of a new chapter in their lives—one filled with hope, heartbreak, and the chance to rewrite their story.