This story tells us about a young girl and guy in their early twenties who fall in love at first sight
Chapter 1 Love at first sight
The summer air was heavy with the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming jasmine, the kind of fragrance that seemed to whisper promises of endless possibilities. The sleepy little town of Willow Creek was alive in its own way-soft rustles of wind through the trees, the distant hum of cicadas, and the occasional squeak of an old bicycle as it cruised down Main Street.
On the porch of the white clapboard house at the end of Sycamore Lane, sixteen-year-old Lily Harper was sprawled out on the wooden steps, a notebook balanced precariously on her knees. Her pencil moved in slow, deliberate strokes as she sketched the scene before her: the oak tree in the front yard with its tire swing swaying lazily in the breeze, the row of sunflowers standing tall against the picket fence, and beyond that, the boy who had just moved in next door.
He was kneeling in the dirt, planting something with practiced ease. His dark hair curled at the nape of his neck, damp with sweat, and the sleeves of his faded T-shirt were rolled up to reveal lean, tanned arms. Lily squinted at him, her pencil hovering above the page as she tried to capture the way his shoulders flexed when he leaned forward. She had never seen him up close, not really, but she already knew two things for sure: his name was Noah Sinclair, and he had the kind of smile that could stop time.
She had noticed him the day the moving truck arrived, when he'd carried box after box up the front steps of the old brick house next door. There had been a moment-just a fleeting glance over his shoulder-that had made her stomach do a strange, unfamiliar flip. Since then, she had spent far too much time on the porch, her notebook always conveniently in hand.
"Lily, honey, dinner's ready!" Her mom's voice drifted through the screen door, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Coming!" she called back, snapping the notebook shut. She stood, brushing the eraser shavings from her shorts, and glanced one last time at Noah. He was still focused on his work, oblivious to her presence.
As she turned to go inside, the sharp creak of the garden gate caught her attention. She froze, her heart doing that strange flip again. Noah was walking toward her, a small potted plant in his hands. His steps were hesitant, as if he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing.
"Hey," he said, stopping a few feet away. His voice was warm, like the sun-soaked days of summer itself.
Lily blinked, her brain scrambling for words. "Hi."
He held out the plant, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I, uh, thought you might like this. It's a sunflower. My mom says they're good for making people smile."
Lily stared at the plant, then at him. Her cheeks flushed, and she hoped he couldn't see it in the dimming light. "That's... really nice of you. Thanks."
For a moment, they just stood there, the air between them buzzing with something unspoken. Then, as if realizing he had lingered too long, Noah shoved his hands into his pockets and took a step back.
"Well, I should get back to planting. See you around, Lily."
He knew her name. The thought hit her like a gust of wind, leaving her momentarily breathless. Before she could say anything, he turned and jogged back to his yard, leaving her standing there with the sunflower cradled in her hands.
Lily glanced down at the small, vibrant flower. A smile tugged at her lips, one she couldn't suppress even if she tried. Maybe first love wasn't such a little thing after all.