"The Love Letter He Never Sent" When Tara discovers a hidden love letter from her late best friend, her world shatters-and then shifts. As she begins to write her own letters to heal, they mysteriously disappear... only to end up in the hands of Zayn, the mysterious new guy who knows more than he should. In a journey of grief, secrets, and second chances, Tara must choose: hold on to the past or open her heart to the unknown.
Chapter 1 The Box in the Attic
If Tara had known what she would discover that day, she might have left the dusty box where it was-buried beneath old photo albums, broken electronics, and memories that no one wanted to confront.
The attic exuded the scent of time itself-dry, forgotten, and filled with whispers.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and pulled the next box closer. "Jayden's stuff," it read in shaky handwriting. Her hands paused.
"Are you okay up there?" Jayden's sister, Amara, called from the bottom of the ladder.
"Yeah," Tara lied. Her voice sounded steadier than her heart felt.
A year. That's how long it had been since Jayden's accident. A year since the world tilted on its axis and never quite returned to its original position. He had been her best friend since primary school-loud, clumsy, and brimming with wild ideas. He called her "Sunshine," and she called him "Trouble." It didn't mean anything back then.
At the very least, she believed it did not.
Tara sat cross-legged, the box resting between her knees. She hadn't seen his handwriting since the funeral program. For a moment, she felt a tightness in her chest. Then, she opened the box.
Photos, some with dog-eared corners; his old hoodie; a keychain shaped like a camera; and his sketchbook-half-filled with messy pencil drawings of things that didn't make sense but felt like him.
And then, tucked away at the bottom as if it didn't want to be discovered, was a folded page bearing her name.
"To Tara."
That was it-no date, no explanation.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
"If you're reading this, I suppose I never found the courage to tell you. I intended to, a thousand times, but I always backed out because I didn't want to lose you. The truth is, I love you. I've loved you since Form 4, and every day since then. Perhaps I will still love you tomorrow."
"If there's ever a chance you felt the same way, I hope you find someone who brings you the same joy I experience whenever you smile at me. But if that's not the case, just know that I was the luckiest guy to have loved you quietly."
Tara stared at the letter, her vision blurring. The attic seemed to fade away, and the air grew thick.
Did he love her?
Did he never tell her?
She folded the letter slowly, as if it might crumble to dust. Then, she hugged it to her chest and allowed herself to cry-one year's worth of "what ifs" crashing down all at once.
Outside, the sun sank lower in the sky.
Life continued to unfold downstairs.
But upstairs, something had just begun.