The feel of the cool breeze on her face, made Riley think of the last time she stood on a beach. It was almost five years ago, when she still lived with her father, and their lives weren’t as complicated and broken as they were now. Back then, Riley had friends. She had dreams. She had a future. But that all changed when she made the biggest mistake of her life. By trusting someone she shouldn’t have, she lost everything.
Now, she was sitting alone on a secluded beach, watching the waves crashing against the shoreline, listening to the sounds of nature all around her. It was peaceful. It was calming. It made her forget about the past, if only for a moment.
Riley sighed heavily. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm despite the warmth radiating off the sand underneath h
