Oluwatobi_anthony

When Summer Ends
by Anthony.Jr

After two years away at college, Maya Jensen returns to her sleepy hometown of Maplewood for a quiet summer. But everything changes when she sees Liam Carter—the childhood best friend who vanished without a word four years ago—standing on the porch across the street.

Liam’s sudden reappearance stirs up more than just old memories. With secrets in his past and guilt weighing heavy on his heart, Liam is a different person from the boy Maya once knew. As the two reconnect under starry skies and quiet walks through the town they both thought they'd outgrown, Maya finds herself questioning what it means to forgive—and whether the heart can truly forget.

When summer ends

The weekend ended too soon.

Liam left on Sunday evening, the sun barely dipping behind the trees when they stood outside Maya's dorm, arms wrapped around each other like they could freeze time if they held on tight enough.

"Call me when you get home," she said into his chest.

He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

This time, she said it back without hesitation.

Monday came with rain and a pop quiz in communications.

Maya stared at her notes, distracted, rereading the same sentence over and over. Caleb sat a few rows down, throwing her a small smile as he walked past after class. She gave a polite one back but didn't stop him. She couldn't—not after this weekend.

Things with Liam weren't perfect, but they were real. And real was worth holding onto.

Still, her chest tugged with something she didn't want to name.

Back home, Liam found the quiet louder than usual.

He got off work late and stood in his bedroom, flipping through the pictures on his phone. Maya's laugh in one video made him pause. He played it twice, just to feel close to her again.

But something about the silence after hit different.

He hadn't told her yet—hadn't found the words—but his mom's medical bills had doubled. College for him next year? It was slipping further away by the day.

He'd been offered a full-time mechanic apprenticeship, no degree needed. Just steady pay.

It wasn't what he'd planned. But what if it was what he had to do?

He opened their text thread, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Liam: Can we talk later? Something important's come up.

Maya felt the knot in her stomach the second she read the message.

She called him after her last class, walking to her dorm in the light drizzle.

"What's up?" she asked, voice careful.

"I got offered a full-time position at the shop."

Her heart skipped. "That's… huge. Congrats?"

"They want me to start next month. Like, fully committed."

"My mom's medical stuff is getting worse. Insurance isn't covering everything. I've been helping where I can, but it's not enough."

She stopped walking. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry. Or pity me."

She gripped the phone tighter. "You don't have to protect me from your life, Liam. I want to share it. Even the hard parts."

They were both quiet for a while. The sound of traffic and footsteps filled the gaps.

"I want to be with you," he said finally. "But I also don't want to hold you back."

"You're not," she said firmly. "We're just trying to figure it out. That's what people do when they care."

"You're going places, Maya. You're growing. And I'm… I'm trying to keep up."

She swallowed. "Maybe we're not supposed to run the same race. Maybe we just have to keep choosing each other, mile by mile."

There was something tender in the silence that followed.

Like they were both holding a fragile truth between them, afraid to let it drop.

That night, Maya lay in bed and stared at the ceiling.

Was love enough to survive different dreams?

Could two people moving in opposite directions still meet in the middle?

But she wanted to believe they could.

Chapter 9 – The Distance Between