⭐ PART I — East Coast Beginnings

David and Renee begin a journey neither of them planned, but both of them needed.

1. New York — Where They Meet

David never expected anything extraordinary to happen at a crowded creative‑arts conference in Manhattan. But then he saw Renee — standing on the steps of Columbia University, notebook pressed to her chest, her hair catching the city lights like it belonged there.

They talked for hours on those stone steps, the city humming around them. She told him she wrote stories because she couldn’t help it. He told her he took photographs for the same reason.

Later, as they walked through Times Square, neon lights splashing across their faces, she looked up at him with a half‑smile and said, “Let’s keep going.” And he knew he would follow her anywhere.

2. New Jersey — The First Kiss

They crossed into New Jersey the next morning, still riding the high of a night that felt like the beginning of something big. Princeton’s campus was quiet, almost reverent, the kind of place that made you lower your voice without knowing why.

Renee tugged him toward the Jersey Shore, insisting he needed “real ocean air.” The wind was sharp, the waves restless. She dared him to jump in. He did — fully clothed, laughing as the cold hit him like a shock.

She doubled over laughing, then pulled him close and kissed him, saltwater dripping from his hair onto her cheeks. It was messy and cold and perfect.

3. Pennsylvania — The First Confession

Philadelphia smelled like history and street food. They wandered UPenn’s campus, then drifted toward the Liberty Bell, where Renee bought him a pretzel the size of his head.

They sat on a bench, sharing it, their shoulders touching. David watched her talk with her hands, watched her eyes light up when she described her favorite books.

He didn’t mean to say it, but it slipped out anyway: “I really like you.”

She froze for a heartbeat, then smiled — slow, warm, certain. “Good,” she said. “I like you too.”

4. Delaware — The First Quiet Moment

Delaware felt like a pause button. They biked along the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, the ocean humming beside them.

Renee leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched the waves roll in. No big declarations. No dramatic moments. Just the soft, steady comfort of being next to someone who felt right.

David thought, If this is what the beginning feels like, I can’t wait for the rest.

5. Maryland — The First Vulnerability

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor glowed gold at sunset. They’d spent the day wandering Johns Hopkins, but it was the boat ride that stayed with him.

Renee told him about her childhood — the messy parts, the beautiful parts, the parts she’d never said out loud to anyone. Her voice trembled once. He didn’t interrupt. He just held her hand.

She looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time. “Thank you,” she whispered. He squeezed her fingers. “Always.”

6. Virginia — The First ‘Maybe This Is Love’

The Blue Ridge Mountains were wrapped in fog, soft and mysterious. They hiked slowly, stopping often just to breathe in the quiet.

At an overlook, Renee shivered, and David wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned back into him, fitting perfectly.

“I could stay here forever,” he murmured into her hair. She turned, eyes bright. “Then stay with me.”

He didn’t say it out loud, but he knew: He was falling in love.

7. West Virginia — The First Fear Shared

The New River Gorge Bridge stretched out like a dare. Renee hesitated at the railing, her breath catching.

“I’m not great with heights,” she admitted. David offered his hand. “Then we’ll do it together.”

They walked out slowly, step by step, her fingers gripping his. When they reached the center, she laughed — shaky but proud. He kissed her temple. She didn’t let go of his hand for the rest of the day.

8. North Carolina — The First Hard Conversation

They spent the morning at UNC Chapel Hill, but it was the Outer Banks that brought out the truth.

They built a sandcastle, watched it collapse under the tide, and Renee said quietly, “Everything ends.”

David looked at her, really looked. “Not everything,” he said.

She didn’t answer, but she rested her head on his shoulder. That was enough.

9. South Carolina — The First Real Intimacy

Charleston was warm and colorful, the air thick with jasmine. David photographed Renee in front of Rainbow Row, the pastel houses glowing behind her.

She stepped toward him, brushing her fingers along his jaw. “No one’s ever looked at me the way you do,” she whispered.

He lowered the camera. “I’m not looking at you,” he said softly. “I’m seeing you.”

She kissed him like she believed him.

10. Georgia — The First ‘I Love You’

Savannah’s Spanish moss hung low and dreamy, like the whole city was holding its breath. They walked slowly, fingers intertwined, the world quiet around them.

Renee stopped beneath an ancient oak, turned to him, and said, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

David didn’t hesitate. “I already have.”

She pressed her forehead to his, eyes closed, and whispered, “Then don’t let go.”