When Hearts Collide.

The following morning brought an unusual chill to the seaside air. Mist hovered over the waves, softening the horizon. With a piping hot cup of tea in her hands, Ava stood at the railing of her porch. She watched as the fog slowly peeled away, revealing the sleepy outlines of fishing boats bobbing in the distance.

Since yesterday, nothing had remained the same. The kiss with Liam had been more than a spark. It had been a shift in the tide. She hadn’t felt that kind of peace—or possibility—in years.

But peace didn’t always last.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from a number she hadn’t seen in months: "Can we talk? - Julian"

Julian. her ex-boyfriend. The man who had shared five years of her life before it all collapsed under the weight of ambition and betrayal. She stared at the screen, her fingers frozen.

She didn’t respond.

She, on the other hand, buried herself in research that day, exerting herself beyond what was necessary. In the lab, she triple-checked coral DNA sequences and recalibrated equipment that didn’t need recalibrating. But even as she worked, her mind wandered—back to the fights, the long silences, and the day Julian walked out.

That afternoon, as she walked along the shore collecting new tidepool samples, she saw Liam in the distance. He was helping an elderly man secure a sailboat. He looked so at ease, so grounded.

She wondered if he saw her.

His smile was instant when their eyes met later. “You look like someone trying very hard to look busy,” he said as he approached.

She chuckled. "Is it that clear?" “Only to someone who’s done it a few thousand times himself.”

He reached for the bucket she was carrying. “Need help?”

“Always.”

They walked in quiet tandem back toward the lab, their hands occasionally brushing. Ava considered telling him about the message. About Julian. But she hesitated. Not yet.

That evening, as twilight dipped the town in hues of lavender and blue, Ava got another message: “I’m in town. Please, Ava. One conversation.”

She didn’t respond. She needed to breathe, so she went to the docks instead. To her surprise, Liam was there.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Too much in here.” She tapped her temple.

With their feet dangling above the water, they sat together on the dock's edge. It was here she finally spoke the words.

“My ex is in town.”

Liam’s expression didn’t change, but his body stiffened slightly.

“He texted this morning. I didn’t answer. I haven’t seen him in a year.”

“Do you want to see him?”

She didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know.”

He nodded slowly. "If you do... it doesn't change anything between us." Unless you want it to.”

Surprised, she looked at him. “You’re not… upset?”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little thrown. But I trust you. And I know what it’s like to have unfinished business.”

She reached for his hand. “Thank you.”

Later that night, Ava stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair. Her phone buzzed again. A third message: “I’m at the café by the marina. Just five minutes.”

Something in her told her to go. Not for Julian. For closure.

She wrote a note and left it on the kitchen table: “Going to talk to him. I’ll be back soon. –A.”

The café was dimly lit and nearly empty. Julian sat near the back, his posture tense, a coffee untouched in front of him.

He stood when he saw her. “Ava.”

She nodded. “Julian.”

For a moment, the room felt too small. The weight of their shared past pressed in.

“I’m not here to rekindle anything,” he said quickly. “I just… needed to say I’m sorry.”

She said nothing.

“I was selfish. I put my career before you. Before us. And I regret it.”

She stared at him, seeing both the man she had loved and the one who had hurt her. “Why now?”

“Because I heard you were here. Because I never stopped thinking about how badly I ended things.”

Ava leaned back. “Julian… I’ve moved on. I’m not angry anymore. But I don’t need anything from you—not even an apology.”

He looked down, nodded. “I understand.”

She stood. “Goodbye, Julian.”

Outside, the night air felt like freedom. She walked straight to Liam’s cottage. When he opened the door, his eyes searched hers.

“All done?” he asked.

“All done,” she said.

He stepped aside, and she walked in. There were no questions, no need for explanation. Just shared silences—and a sense of something beginning again.

(End of Chapter 4)

Chapter 5: Driftwood Hearts coming next...