Eli found himself back at the bar nearly every evening since that fateful night. He’d sit at the same stool, nursing a drink, his eyes darting toward the entrance each time the door swung open. Every person who walked in made his heart skip, only for it to sink when none of them were Serena.
The bartender, a tall man with a calm demeanor, finally spoke up after a week of seeing Eli there. “You look like you’re waiting for someone.”
Eli gave a half-smile, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “Something like that.”
The bartender nodded knowingly. “Sometimes, waiting only makes it harder. If they want to be found, they’ll find you.”
Eli didn’t respond, his focus back on the door.
---
It was a particularly quiet night when Arietta showed up, bursting into the bar with urgency. She spo
