She shut off the engine and sat there for a moment, staring out at the rolling waves that stretched endlessly before her. The sound of the ocean crashing against the rocks was almost deafening, yet calming. It drowned out the constant noise in her head, the questions that haunted her every waking moment.

Why him? Why now? Why her?

With a sigh, Jade pushed open the car door and stepped out, the salty air hitting her skin, cool and sharp. She had come here to heal, or at least that’s what everyone kept telling her she needed to do. Healing. It sounded so easy, like you could patch up a broken heart with a few weeks by the ocean. But how could she heal when she felt like a part of her had died with David?

The cottage was small, quaint—exactly what she needed. A place to disappear. A place where no one knew her story. Not the tragedy. Not the guilt. She walked up to the porch, her fingers brushing against the rough wood of the railing, before she turned the key and pushed open the door.

Inside, it was simple but cozy. The furniture looked worn, the kind you’d find in a vacation home that had seen too many summers. She didn’t care about the decor. She just needed the space.

As she unpacked, her thoughts kept drifting back to David—his smile, his laugh, the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about their future. Their wedding plans had been nearly complete. It should have been her happiest time, but instead, it had become a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

A loud knock at the door startled her, pulling her out of her reverie. Jade frowned, not expecting visitors. She hesitated for a moment before walking over and pulling it open.

Standing there was a man, tall and lean, with messy dark hair and deep-set eyes. He wore paint-splattered jeans and a loose shirt, and his hands were stained with charcoal. He looked like someone who belonged in a place like this—untamed and raw, like the sea that stretched behind him.

“Sorry to bother you,” the man said, his voice low but steady. “I’m Lucas. I live down the road. I saw you just moved in and figured I’d say hi. Not a lot of people come through here.”

Jade blinked, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion into her quiet escape. She hadn’t expected anyone to notice her, let alone knock on her door within hours of arriving.

“Hi,” she finally said, her voice a little hoarse from disuse. “I’m Jade.”

Lucas gave her a nod, his eyes studying her briefly before shifting to the view behind her. “The sea helps,” he said, almost as if he could see the storm of emotions she was holding back. “When you’ve got too much going on in your head.”

Jade didn’t respond right away, but his words hit her harder than she expected. He didn’t know anything about her, yet somehow he had just spoken to the ache that had been clawing at her insides since David’s death.

“Yeah,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.

“Well, if you ever need anything, I’m just down the road. I work at the gallery in town, but I’m around most days.” Lucas gave her a smile, almost comforting smile before turning to leave.

Jade watched him walk away, his figure disappearing down the road, leaving her standing in the doorway with a strange mix of relief and curiosity. She wasn’t here to make friends. But something about Lucas’s presence felt… grounding.

She closed the door softly and leaned against it, staring out at the horizon where the sky met the sea. The storm inside her hadn’t calmed. But for the first time in months, it didn’t feel quite so suffocating.