"Today is the day," Allison said, holding the folded letter. "He's going to regret how he treated me."
"It's not even his fault," Anna replied.
"Here's the plan: You drop this letter in his mailbox, and I'll wait for him at the place where we first met."
Anna nodded.
But before she could say anything, Lauren knocked—then pushed the door open without waiting. She always did that.
"Ali."
"Mom!" Allison quickly hid the letter.
"Tomorrow, we're having the Hollingsworth family for dinner." She reached out, touching Allison's hair with the care of someone arranging a doll. "You need to prepare yourself. You're going to meet their son. Daniel. He's your age."
Allison's heart raced. "Mom, no—I mean, yes, I'll come out of respect, but... I'm too young for this."
Lauren froze. Then she chuckled—a sound that made Allison's skin prickle. "Young," she repeated softly. "You won't be young for long, darling. Be there tomorrow."
She left without waiting for a response.
Anna shut the door slowly, her eyes wide. "What the fuck. That's an arranged marriage setup."
Allison's stomach twisted. "I know. I have to see him today. Before tomorrow."
"Then let's go," Anna said, grabbing her bag.
She dropped Allison off near the beach access and watched her friend walk away, the ocean breeze catching her hair. Anna wasn't entirely sure where the specific meeting spot was, but she trusted Allison's memory.
Minutes later, Anna pulled into the quiet driveway of the Austin estate. She quickly hopped out, slipped the crisp envelope into the mailbox, and drove off—completely unaware of the eyes watching her.
Further down the street, Cathy sat idling in her parked car. Her heart skipped a dangerous beat as she watched the unfamiliar girl deliver the envelope.
She instantly thought of Devin's "ghost"—the mysterious penpal he'd loved for years without ever laying eyes on her. Cathy waited until Anna's car disappeared around the corner before stepping out onto the pavement.
Moving swiftly, Cathy approached the mailbox. Her fingers closed around the envelope. Sensing the importance of the words sealed inside, she shoved it deep into her leather bag, her mind already spinning with possibilities.
Inside the Austin estate, Devin was fresh out of the shower, vigorously drying his hair when the doorbell rang. He pulled a T-shirt over his head and ran toward the front gate, a faint, desperate hope flickering in his chest. Maybe she finally wrote back.
But as he opened the gate, his face plummeted.
"Cathy," he said, his voice dropping to a flat deadpan. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just passing by," Cathy said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "I wanted to see if you were busy. I actually need someone to escort me to the grocery store."
"No," Devin said bluntly, already turning back toward the house.
"Devin, wait!" Cathy hurried after him. "Look... I know I've been awful to you. I teased you relentlessly about Sam... but isn't it a little unfair? I'm Sam's sister. Can't we just try to be friends?"
Devin stopped. He was mentally drained from the chaos at the beach, and Cathy's sudden vulnerability caught him off guard. He let out a long sigh. "...Fine. Just this once."
Cathy's heart surged with dark triumph. She had the letter. She had him right where she wanted him.
As Allison walked toward their meeting place, the sky began to bruise—a deep purple-black that swallowed the horizon. The wind grew teeth, biting fiercely at her skin. Everything felt like a ghost of the day six years ago when her parents had dragged her away from Devin.
A jagged tear of lightning split the clouds, and the heavens finally broke. Allison turned and ran, her bare feet sinking into the sludge of wet sand. She reached for her pocket, her fingers brushing only wet fabric. The phone. Anna had it.
Miles away, the same lightning flickered against the humming lights of the City-Mart. Inside the store, Anna reached for a carton of milk when her world came to a halt. Across the aisle stood Devin. And beside him was Cathy.
Cathy's fingers grazed his sleeve, but Devin flinched, jerking his arm away as if her touch burned. Anna's pulse spiked. The "Maria" persona vanished, replaced by a protective heat.
"Devin!" Anna marched toward them.
"Devin, we should go," Cathy urged, her voice tight. "Your uncle is waiting."
But Devin stayed rooted to the spot. "Wait. I think someone is calling me."
"I am," Anna said, her breath jagged. "I'm Anna, Allison's best friend. A few hours ago, I left her letter in your mailbox. She's out there right now—at the place only you two know—waiting for you!"
The air in the store seemed to vanish. Devin didn't wait for another word. He didn't even look at Cathy; he turned and sprinted, his footsteps echoing like a frantic heartbeat against the floor.
Allison found a safe haven—a fortress made of glass. A beach house. She scrambled onto the porch, huddling against the cold glass. It was dark inside, but she pressed her forehead to the wood, shivering. A sudden grin burst across her face.
I'm not that same kid anymore who is scared of you, she thought, defying the storm.
Inside her car, Anna slammed her hand against the horn as she hit a wall of traffic. "No! No, no, no!" She reached for Allison's phone in the passenger seat. Allison had left it behind, preferring the old-fashioned "penpal" life, but now that choice felt foolish.
"Stop honking your fucking horn, kid!" a woman in the next lane screamed. "We all want to go home! Perhaps you'd rather spend the night in an orange shirt!"
"Kid? I'm eighteen! Shut the fuck up, old lady!" Anna yelled back, rain drenching her hair.
Back at his house, Devin checked the mailbox. Empty. His heart sank. He ran inside and dialed Sam.
"Sam... the woman from yesterday. You asked for her number. I need it. Now!"
"Wait, what? Why? Are you hitting on her too?"
"Sam, it's an emergency! Just text it!"
Sam sent the number, baffled. Meanwhile, the phone in Anna's lap vibrated. An unknown number. She swiped it instantly. "Hello? Ali? Oh my god, Ali, where are you—"
"Anna, it's Devin." The voice was breathless, competing with the roar of his engine. "Anna, the letter... it's not here. Where is she?"