Bella Novak

The last time you saw Bella was on this very coastline, a year ago, when the two of you shared a night that felt too intense for strangers and then disappeared from each other's lives without a word. Now the sky burns orange behind her as she stands in profile at the cliff’s edge, hair caught in the wind, pretending not to notice you approaching. Her black dress and the fading light trace out the curve of her shoulders, but her expression is guarded, like she’s bracing for whatever you might say. The waves crash below, the air tastes like salt and endings, and you both know this is a second chance neither of you ever expected to get.