The sound of tires crunching gravel echoed through the quiet street as Sarah Bennett pulled up in front of the two-story building. The paint was chipped, the sign out front faded, but to her, it was still home—or at least it used to be.
Ryan sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, hoodie pulled up despite the summer heat. His eyes stayed fixed on the screen of his phone, headphones in, shutting out the world.
"Here we are," Sarah said, forcing a smile. "Rosehill."
Ryan didn't look up.
Sarah stepped out, her sandals hitting the pavement with a soft thud. The air smelled like wildflowers and pine. It was familiar—too familiar. Her chest tightened.
She walked to the trunk and popped it open, starting to unload the bags. "Can you give me a hand?"
Silence.
She turned to see Ryan still in the car, unmoving. Finally, he pulled out one earbud and looked at her, eyes dull.
"You dragged me across the country for this?"
Sarah set the bag down. "I didn't drag you. We needed a change."
"No, you needed a change. I had a life in California. Friends. Basketball. Now I have this… quaint little ghost town."
His words stung, but Sarah kept her voice steady. "It's not forever."
Ryan scoffed. "Yeah? Then what is it?"
There was a pause. The kind that stretched between them far too often these days.
Sarah sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Just help me with the bags."
Ryan yanked the door open, grabbed his backpack, and slung it over his shoulder. "Whatever."
They walked up the creaky steps together, but worlds apart. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing the dusty inside of what would soon be her café and their home.
He looked around, unimpressed. "Smells like old wood and bad decisions."
Sarah laughed dryly, despite herself. "That's just the beginning."
Ryan dropped his bag on the floor and turned to her. "You should've told me the truth."
She paused, startled. "What truth?"
"That you were running. Not starting over. Just running."
He didn't wait for an answer. He walked upstairs, footsteps heavy. The door slammed behind him a second later.
Sarah stood alone in the silence, one hand still resting on the doorframe. She looked around the empty room, trying to see what she once loved about this place.
But all she saw were memories.