If I Turn Back

Pixie never thought she would miss something that was never really hers.

The one who was never officially hers but never really a stranger either.

Their story never had a name. No labels, no promises, no future talks. Just moments that felt real enough to blur the line between casual and something more.

Until it ended.

Without a fight.
Without closure.

And Pixie told herself it was for the best.

So she left.

A new place and a plan to focus on her writing. That was all she wanted for a fresh start without complications.

She didn't come here for love. She came here to finish her book and fix herself.

But then she met Skylar.

Her neighbor is calm, observant, and somehow always around her when she needed someone without asking for it.

With him things didn't feel complicated. There were no mixed signals, no unanswered questions. Just conversations that flowed easily and a presence that felt steady.

For the first time in a long while Pixie felt like she could breathe.

Until the past showed up again.

Because Steve came back.

This time, he wasn't unsure. This time he wanted a real chance. A real relationship. Everything they never had before.

And suddenly Pixie was standing between what she once wanted and what she never expected to find.

Because sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go.

It's choosing what to hold on to.