Coral’s POV
The rain hammered against the porch roof, each drop a reminder of the tension knotting in my chest. I sat curled up in my chair with a book, though I hadn’t turned a page in over ten minutes. My mind kept drifting, my thoughts circling one thing: today.
Eight months and one day since Eli left. Today was supposed to be his return. My brain kept playing scenarios, most of them leaning on hope but with a nagging undercurrent of dread.
The sharp crunch of tires on gravel snapped me out of my daze. I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. A car was pulling up in the driveway, and through the rain-blurred world, I recognized it.
Eli’s car.
I sat there for a second, clutching my book, before the weight of reality hit me. I stood, letting the book fall to the floor. He was here. He
