The smell of salty ocean air and fried funnel cakes filled the summer breeze along the Atlantic City boardwalk. It was the kind of evening where the sky melted into hues of lavender and gold, casting a dreamy glow over the rolling waves.
For Ava Sinclair, the boardwalk was a place of routine. She ran her small bookstore-café, "The Seaside Nook," just a few steps from the sand. It was her haven, a cozy escape for locals and tourists alike. But despite the steady flow of customers, Ava had long convinced herself that love was not in the cards. Between managing the shop and taking care of her aging father, there simply wasn’t time.
Then came Ethan Carter—a travel journalist passing through town. He wasn’t supposed to stay. New Jersey was just another stop on his endless journey, another article waiting to be written. But fate had other plans.
Ethan wandered into "The Seaside Nook" one evening, seeking nothing more than a good cup of coffee and a quiet place to write. Instead, he found Ava, sitting by the window, lost in a book. Something about the way she tucked her hair behind her ear and sighed contentedly as she turned a page made his heart skip a beat
"Good book?" he asked, startling her.
Ava looked up, her hazel eyes meeting his. "One of my favorites," she admitted, holding up the worn copy of "The Great Gatsby."
"Fitting," Ethan mused. "New Jersey and Gatsby—an iconic pair."
From that moment, their conversations flowed as effortlessly as the tide. Ethan became a regular at the café, always arriving just in time to help Ava close up for the night. They would walk along the boardwalk, sharing stories—Ava about her childhood in Atlantic City, Ethan about the places he’d seen but never stayed long enough to call home.
The more time they spent together, the more Ava felt something stirring in her heart—something she had locked away long ago. But Ethan had a flight booked in two weeks. His life was built on movement, while hers was rooted in place.
"Come with me," Ethan said one night, standing beneath the glow of the Ferris wheel. "We could travel the world together."
Ava hesitated, the salty breeze whipping through her hair. "And leave everything behind? My father, the shop—this boardwalk?"
Ethan took her hand. "I don’t want to take you away from your world, Ava. I just want to be part of it."
Ava looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity there. Maybe love didn’t have to mean giving up everything. Maybe it just meant finding a way to make room.
And so, under the neon glow of the Atlantic City lights, they made a promise—not of forever, not of certainty, but of a love willing to bridge two worlds.
Ethan postponed his flight. Ava let herself believe in love again.
Because sometimes, the best journeys aren’t the ones we take alone—but the ones that lead us home.
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment