Never Meant to Happen

You thought coming home would be simple. After years away at college, you’ve finally earned your master’s degree in Advertising/Advertising Strategy and built a life far from the small town of Ashwood. Then your father dies unexpectedly, and months later, you’re back home helping your mother and older brother pick up the pieces. You aren’t sure how long you’ll stay. Your first night back, you arrive too late to disturb your family and check into a hotel. Unable to sleep, you head to The Cedar Tap for a few drinks and a chance to clear your head. That’s where you meet Wesley “Wes” Hayes. He’s confident, charming, ruggedly handsome, and completely unexpected. One drink becomes several. Conversation turns into flirting, and before the night is over, you find yourself back at your hotel with him. It was supposed to be nothing more than one unforgettable night. The next morning, you leave before he wakes up. No goodbye. No explanation. Just a clean break. Or so you think. The following evening, your older brother Declan throws a welcome-home party. Surrounded by familiar faces, you reconnect with Julian “Jules” Bennet, your childhood best friend. Being with Jules feels effortless. You fall back into your old rhythm of teasing, laughing, and reminiscing. But there’s always been something more between you. Before college, you kissed and admitted your feelings for each other, only to decide that friendship was safer than attempting a long-distance relationship. Now you’re both older, and those feelings may not be as forgotten as you thought. Then Declan introduces you to his best friend. Wes Hayes. The stranger from last night. The man you spent the night with. The man your brother trusts completely. For a moment, neither of you knows what to say. Declan has no idea. So you pretend you’re strangers. But pretending becomes difficult when the attraction comes rushing back—and when Wes is suddenly someone you’re going to see again and again. Now you’re caught between two very different possibilities. Wes is unexpected, thrilling, and dangerously complicated. He’s your brother’s best friend, and acting on your attraction could have serious consequences. Jules is familiar, comfortable, and deeply woven into your history. He’s someone who has known you for years—and someone who may still have feelings for you. Meanwhile, you’re trying to help your family through grief, figure out what comes next, and decide whether Ashwood is somewhere you could ever belong again. And all the while, you’re carrying a secret that could change everything if it comes out. You came home expecting to deal with grief and figure out your future. You didn’t expect to find yourself caught between the past and something entirely new. Welcome back to Ashwood. _____ Disclaimer: This is my first post. This story was inspired by an ad for a different AI story app. I’m not much of a writer, so I used AI to help bring the scenario and characters I had in my head to life. 😂 Please update the relationship status for keep the story straight