Chapter 2 The Boy She Once Knew
1183 Words
Eleanor wasn’t sure what she expected her first morning back in Eden Glen to feel like. Strange? Maybe. Unsettling? Definitely. But she hadn’t expected the sharp pull of familiarity tugging at her chest as she walked through the quiet town square.
Shops were just beginning to open, their doors creaking softly as owners swept dust from their steps. The smell of pastries drifted from the bakery, warm and sweet and painfully nostalgic. A couple strolled down the sidewalk, heads bent close, laughing at some private joke.
It felt like watching a memory in motion—one she used to belong to, but no longer fit inside.
Eleanor slowed when she reached the café—the same small corner shop where she’d spent countless afternoons tucked into a window seat, scribbling dreams into journals she never had the courage to chase. The faded blue awning still flapped gently in the wind. The tiny bell above the door jingled whenever someone walked through.
Her hand lifted to push the door open.
She didn’t get the chance.
“Eleanor Hayes? I’ll be.”
Her breath hitched. She turned slowly.
Joshua Cole stood on the sidewalk behind her, framed in the early morning light. For a moment she didn’t breathe. He’d changed—of course he had—but in all the ways that somehow still felt grounded in the boy she remembered.
His sandy hair had darkened a shade, and he carried himself with a relaxed ease, like he’d grown into his skin rather than grown out of it. His smile—familiar, crooked, achingly warm—spread slowly across his face.
“Well, look at you,” he said, approaching with a soft laugh. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She swallowed hard, forcing out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Joshua… wow. I didn’t expect—”
“You didn’t expect to run into anyone so soon?” he finished for her.
She let out a startled laugh. “Something like that.”
Joshua shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels as he took her in—like he wasn’t sure whether to hug her or give her more space. That was Joshua. Thoughtful. Gentle. Present in a way few people in her life had ever been.
“It’s good to see you, Ellie,” he said softly.
The nickname hit her like a soft punch to the ribs. Only a handful of people had ever called her that—people who were woven into the fabric of her past. People she hadn’t allowed herself to think about for a long time.
“You too,” she whispered.
Joshua’s smile deepened, but there was something else beneath it too. Curiosity. Concern. Something almost protective.
“You hear he’s back too?” he asked.
Her stomach tightened instantly. “Who?”
Joshua gave her a look—gentle, but knowing. “You know who.”
Eleanor’s heart thudded once, hard. Gabriel. Of course. Her pulse fluttered as if reacting to the name she hadn’t spoken in two decades.
“I figured the town would talk,” she said quietly.
Joshua nodded, leaning against the railing beside her. “It’s Eden Glen. Folks talk about the weather like it’s a headline. Gabriel Hart returning is… well, that’s the whole newspaper.”
She didn’t trust her voice, so she didn’t respond.
Joshua’s expression softened. “Hey. You okay?”
Eleanor forced herself to breathe. “I don’t know yet.”
Joshua studied her for a long moment. Then, with the same familiar gentleness he’d always shown her, he said, “You want to get some coffee? For old time’s sake?”
She blinked. “You still drink coffee at this hour?”
“I still drink it at any hour,” he teased, nudging her shoulder lightly. “Come on. I insist. You look like you could use something warm.”
A tiny smile escaped her before she could stop it. “Fine. One cup.”
“Perfect.” He motioned toward the door. “Ladies first.”
She stepped inside, and the familiar bell chimed overhead. The café smelled of cinnamon, vanilla, and freshly baked muffins. Every table had a tiny vase holding a single wildflower. Her chest ached with a strange, bittersweet tenderness.
Joshua ordered for both of them—like he still remembered exactly how she liked her coffee. Vanilla latte with a touch of cinnamon.
She blinked at the cup when he handed it to her.
“You remembered.”
“Ellie,” he said with a smile, “you think twenty years could erase that?”
The simple kindness in his words caught her off guard. She sank into a seat near the window. Joshua sat across from her, leaning forward with his elbows on the table, his eyes warm and attentive.
“So,” he began, “how long are you staying?”
She stared at her cup. “I honestly don’t know.”
“That’s okay.” Joshua’s voice was soft. “Take your time. No one’s rushing you.”
Her throat tightened. She wasn’t used to this—kindness without expectations. Familiarity without pressure. Someone offering support without demanding anything in return.
They talked for a few minutes—about townspeople, old teachers, how the bakery now changed owners, and how little Eden Glen seemed to evolve. Joshua made her laugh once, and the sound startled her. It had been so long since laughter felt natural.
Then, a shadow fell across their table.
Joshua’s expression changed in an instant—jaw tightening, posture sharpening.
Eleanor knew before she even turned around who stood behind her.
Gabriel.
She felt his presence like a shift in the air—warm and quiet and impossible to ignore.
Gabriel’s voice was careful. “Joshua.”
“Gabriel,” Joshua replied coolly.
The air thickened.
Eleanor turned slowly, her heart stumbling.
Gabriel stood there, hands at his sides, eyes fixed on her with a softness that nearly unraveled her. His presence alone stirred memories she had spent years burying—days by the river, evenings under the oak tree, whispered promises under starlight.
“Ellie,” Gabriel said quietly, “can we talk?”
Her breath caught at the sound of his voice. It was deeper now. Rougher. Worn by years and distance.
Joshua stood a little straighter. “She’s busy.”
Eleanor rose slowly. “It’s okay.”
Joshua’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue. He simply looked at her with a quiet hurt that made her chest twist.
Gabriel stepped aside, giving her space to pass, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I didn’t come to interrupt,” he said softly. “I came because I owe you answers.”
Her heart trembled at the sincerity in his voice.
Behind her, Joshua said in a low voice, “Ellie… you don’t owe him anything.”
She closed her eyes.
“No,” she whispered, “but I owe myself the truth.”
And somehow, she knew—this was only the beginning.
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