Serena woke up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore, their rhythmic pattern calming yet somehow reflecting the turbulence inside her. She lay in bed for a while, watching the sunlight filter through the curtains, painting soft golden patterns on the walls of her small room. Carmel had been the escape she needed, a place far enough from everything to allow her some clarity, yet not so distant that she felt truly lost.
She stretched her limbs slowly, letting the peacefulness of the morning sink in, but there was no escaping the thoughts swirling in her mind. Eli. His words, the pain in his eyes when he walked away. It was all still fresh, like an open wound she wasn’t ready to deal with. She needed more time. More distance. Yet, every second away from him felt like she was holdi
