Olivia had spent all twenty-three years of her life in California. She was the quintessential West Coast girl—tan skin, sun-bleached hair, and a smile that could melt hearts. But behind that smile was a restless soul. As much as she loved California, she longed for something more. She had just finished her degree in journalism at UCLA, and though she was supposed to start an internship with a prestigious magazine in Los Angeles, she felt an inexplicable pull to something… or someone she had yet to meet.
That someone turned out to be Elijah Brooks.
He was standing near the boardwalk, guitar in hand, playing a soulful rendition of “California Dreamin’.” His deep brown eyes were focused on the strings, his fingers moving effortlessly over them. His dark curls caught the golden light of the setting sun, and his voice had a rawness to it that sent shivers down Olivia’s spine.
She found herself walking toward him, her heart pounding. When the song ended, their eyes met, and Olivia swore time stopped.
“Hey,” she said, pushing her sunglasses atop her head. “You’re amazing.”
Elijah grinned. “Thanks. You’re the first person to stop and listen all the way through.”
“Really?” Olivia raised an eyebrow. “People clearly have no taste.”
He chuckled, setting his guitar down. “I’m Elijah.”
“Olivia.” She extended her hand, and as soon as their fingers touched, something electric passed between them. He must have felt it too because he hesitated before shaking her hand firmly.
They spent the next hour talking, the ocean waves crashing behind them. Elijah had moved to California from New York, chasing dreams of music and freedom. Unlike Olivia, who had spent her life under the Californian sun, Elijah was still discovering the magic of the West Coast.
Over the next few weeks, they were inseparable. Late-night drives along the Pacific Coast Highway, sitting on the hood of Olivia’s car, watching the stars. Bonfires on the beach, where Elijah would play his guitar while Olivia sang along. Lazy afternoons in cafés, where she’d read him snippets of her writing, and he’d strum melodies in response.
But Olivia knew summer couldn’t last forever. Her internship was starting soon, and Elijah was barely making ends meet playing at local bars and street corners. Love wasn’t always enough, and reality had a way of creeping in when you least wanted it to.
One evening, as they sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean, Olivia sighed, resting her head on Elijah’s shoulder. “What happens now?”
Elijah exhaled slowly. “You mean after the summer ends?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He took her hand, tracing circles on her palm. “I don’t know. But I know I don’t want to lose this… lose you.”
Her heart ached at the sincerity in his voice. “But I have to go to L.A. And you—”
“I can come with you,” he interrupted. “I’ll figure it out.”
Olivia pulled away slightly, looking into his eyes. “You shouldn’t have to figure it out for me, Elijah. Your music deserves everything you’ve been working for. You love it.”
“I love you more.”
Her breath caught, but before she could respond, he kissed her—slow, deep, and filled with all the emotions neither of them could put into words.
The next few days were a blur of passion, laughter, and the underlying fear of an impending goodbye. On the night before Olivia had to leave for L.A., they lay on the beach, her head on his chest, his fingers running through her hair.
“I have an idea,” Olivia whispered. “Let’s make a promise.”
Elijah glanced down. “What kind of promise?”
“That no matter what happens, no matter where life takes us, we’ll meet here a year from now. Right on this beach. Same time, same day.”
Elijah smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Deal.”
And with that, they parted ways.
Life in Los Angeles was fast-paced, and Olivia found herself consumed by work. The magazine was everything she had dreamed of—glamorous, challenging, exhilarating. But every night, as she lay in bed, she’d think of Elijah. The warmth of his touch, the sound of his laughter, the way he made her feel like she was the only girl in the world.
She wrote him letters but never sent them. She heard his song playing on the radio one day and knew he was making it, just like he always wanted. But he never called, and neither did she.
Then, exactly one year later, Olivia found herself back on that beach. The waves rolled in, the sky painted in hues of gold and pink. She waited, her heart in her throat, hoping, praying that he would show up.
Minutes turned to hours, and just as doubt began creeping in, she heard it—the sound of a guitar, the chords of “California Dreamin’.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she turned, and there he was.
“Elijah,” she breathed, running toward him.
He caught her in his arms, spinning her around. “I told you,” he whispered against her hair. “I wasn’t going anywhere.”
And just like that, love found its way back to them—timeless, unwavering, and written in the stars above the California sky
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