Eli felt his heart stammer in his chest as he called out Serena’s name again, this time more urgently. She had stopped, but she still hadn’t turned around to face him. The wind tousled her hair, strands of it blowing against her cheeks, and for a brief moment, she looked like she didn’t want to move, didn’t want to acknowledge him.
But he was here now. And there was no turning back.
“Serena,” Eli said more softly as he finally reached her, his hand hovering awkwardly between them. He wanted to touch her shoulder, wanted to pull her into an embrace, but the tension in the air made him hesitate. He didn’t know where they stood anymore. “I’ve been looking for you.”
She stood there, stiff, her back still to him as if deciding how to respond. Finally, she turned her head slightly, her profil
