Hidden Flames..

chapter 3

Lily hurriedly finished getting ready for college, glancing at the clock with a mix of excitement and nervous energy. Today was going to be different, she could feel it. She grabbed her bag and headed toward her brother Jake’s room, ready to nudge him into action. “Hey, brother! Hurry up, I’m going to be late!” she called out, pushing open the door.

As she stepped inside, her voice caught in her throat. There, standing casually by Jake’s desk, was Ethan. The same Ethan who had left their small town six years ago—but somehow, he wasn’t the same at all.

He had changed, matured. The boyish charm she remembered had been replaced by a confident, more refined presence. He looked every bit the successful businessman he’d become, now the proud owner of a booming startup called **NexGen Tech Solutions**. The casual attire he once sported was replaced by a well-tailored suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and lean frame. Even his posture spoke of someone who had faced the world and come out on top.

Jake, now a top doctor with a reputation that extended far beyond their town, was engrossed in conversation with Ethan, discussing some new medical advancement with his usual enthusiasm. But all Lily could focus on was Ethan.

Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight of him. She had imagined this moment so many times in her mind, but nothing had prepared her for the reality of it. He was even more striking than she remembered, his features more defined, his presence more commanding. And then, their eyes met.

For a brief moment, the world around her seemed to stop. Memories of her childhood crush came flooding back, but this time, they were tinged with something deeper, more intense. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, and it took every ounce of self-control not to let her emotions show. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt a warmth spread through her that she hadn’t experienced in years.

Ethan’s eyes softened when he saw her, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Lily,” he said, his voice smooth and warm, as if her name held a special significance. “It’s been a long time.”

Lily swallowed hard, forcing herself to smile. “Yeah, it has,” she replied, her voice surprisingly steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. “You look... different.” She mentally kicked herself for such a mundane observation, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Ethan chuckled, a deep, rich sound that sent a shiver down her spine. “So do you. You’ve grown up.”

His words, though simple, made her heart flutter. She had waited so long to hear something like that from him. But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside, reminding herself that he was still the same Ethan—Jake’s best friend, the one who had always seen her as a little sister. Yet, something in his eyes told her that maybe, just maybe, things were different now.

Jake, oblivious to the silent exchange between them, looked up and grinned. “Don’t worry, Lil, I won’t make you late. But you might want to thank Ethan—he’s the one who stopped by to make sure I got moving this morning.”

Lily forced herself to laugh, trying to mask the emotions bubbling beneath the surface. “I’ll thank him later. Right now, we need to go.”

As they headed out, Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something new. The Ethan she had always adored was back, but he wasn’t just the boy she had once loved from afar. He was now a man who had lived, succeeded, and returned to the place where it had all started. And as they left the house together, she couldn’t help but wonder if, this time, things might be different after all.