"What's your full name again? I need the exact spelling for the flight booking. Everyone is going back to the US, and you're coming with us."
"Seriously, Ali? We've survived years of chaos and you still don't know my name? It's Anna Maria Elizabeth Rodriguez."
Allison burst into laughter, her pen nearly slipping. "I knew it! I can't help it—your ancestors must've been so crazy."
"I knew you'd turn it into a joke."
The sharp, sudden ring of the doorbell cut through the air.
"That must be the mail!" Allison didn't just walk; she ran.
Moments later, she came skidding back into the room, breathless and pale.
"Anna... it's here. His letter. His last letter," she whispered, her thumb brushing over the wax seal.
"Last? Of course it is. He has no idea his pen pal is about to appear out of nowhere. God, Ali... you're going to give the man a heart attack."
"Shut up, Anna. I learned these tricks from you."
"Oh, come on. I'm loving it. As your mentor, I'm so proud of you," Anna giggled. "Now, open the damn letter!"
Allison began to tear the seal.
"Wait. My heart... it's racing, dancing..."
"For god's sake, Ali, your heart doesn't have feet. Open it already!"
Allison let out a nervous, high-pitched laugh. "Hey, relax. You're more excited than I am."
Finally, her fingers slid something out. It wasn't just paper this time; it was thick and glossy.
A photograph.
Anna let out a literal scream. "Oh my God, Allison!"
Allison hesitated to look at the image, but Anna snatched it from her hands. "What the hell, Allison? Look at this face!"
Allison felt like she was losing her breath. She almost collapsed.
Devin, is this really you now?
Then emerged a photo of Devin.
It was no stiff, posed portrait, but a stolen moment captured in the thick, hazy heat of a South Carolina afternoon.
He was shirtless, a dark gray tee slung carelessly over one shoulder as if he'd just stepped off the sand. His hair was a total disaster—sandy, sun-bleached, and spiked in every direction—looking as though he'd spent the day running frustrated fingers through the mess of it.
Caught in a smirk, his lips held that devastating half-smile—a secret meant for her eyes alone.
But it was his gaze that truly wrecked her. Deep, hooded, and a piercing shade of blue-gray, his eyes seemed to cut right through the glossy finish.
Even from thousands of miles away, the intensity was enough to make her skin flush, as if he were looking through the lens and straight into her bedroom in Spain.
"What are you doing? Show me!" Anna scrambled up, nearly knocking Allison over.
Anna's eyes widened. "Why are you so calm?! Look at him! Allison, he's hot. Like—dangerously. He looks like he belongs on a poster in every girl's locker!"
"Locker?"
"Oh, come on, are you jealous?"
"Why would I"
"Gosh, you're so naive."
That night, the villa was silent save for the rhythmic chirping of crickets in the garden. Allison lay on her bed, the moon casting a silver glow over the photograph she held above her head. Her fingers traced the outline of his face—the bridge of his nose, the slight curve of his lips.
"His eyes..." she whispered to the shadows. "They're hypnotizing. If he stands in front of me... I don't think I'll even remember how to breathe."
"I knew it."
Allison jumped, nearly dropping the photo on her face. "You're still awake?!"
Anna smirked from the other bed, her eyes glowing in the dark. "I didn't know I was sharing a room with a pervert. You've been staring at that picture for twenty minutes."
"Shut up!"
"Sure, Ali. You're staring at it like you're about to marry it. Just admit it."
Allison threw a pillow at her, but she didn't stop smiling. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright. "I have a plan."
Anna sighed, pulling the covers over her head. "Oh no... here we go."
"I'm not replying to this letter," Allison said, her voice gaining strength. "He thinks I'm still here. When we get back to South Carolina... I'll pretend a stranger. That would be fun."
Anna stared at her from under the blanket. "Go to sleep. You're losing your mind."
"What? It's a good plan! It's going to be fun."
"Yeah, I already knew about that plan, Allison. You don't need to repeat it. Good night. Try not to kiss the photo to death."
Allison smiled, slipping the picture under her pillow, feeling the cool edges against her palm. "Good night."
That night, for the first time in six years, Allison didn't have to close her eyes to see him. She already knew exactly who was waiting for her on the other side of the ocean.