Eli leaned against the wall outside the cafe, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The weight of Arietta’s words pressed heavily on his mind, and for the first time in years, the past came rushing back with vivid clarity.
He closed his eyes, letting himself slip into the memories—the ones he had tried so hard to suppress, but had never truly escaped.
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It was the roar of the engines that had brought them together. Eli could still remember the day he first laid eyes on Arietta, standing by the track, her fiery red hair catching the sunlight as she smiled, completely in her element. She had a confidence that was impossible to ignore, a magnetic energy that drew people to her. But it wasn’t just her beauty that had captivated him—it was her love for racing.
They had met at
