I was flipping through my old high school photos when the past hit me harder than I expected. Twenty years gone, yet every face, every color, every blurry hallway snapshot still felt close enough to touch. Then I saw his picture — the one I’d avoided for years.
Dorian Reed.
My first love. My biggest crush. The boy I once imagined an entire future with.
Back then, I was hopelessly devoted to him. Slipped notes into his locker, tried to flirt even though I had no idea how, even tucked a Valentine into his bag when he wasn’t looking. He was gentle, quiet, and completely unaware of how hard I fell.
And right before graduation, he disappeared from my life without a word. No explanation. No goodbye. Just… gone. I spent months wondering what I’d done wrong.
Now I’m thirty-eight, still single, and still feeling that small bruise in my chest whenever his name crosses my mind. Some things don’t fade — they wait.
A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Kerensa, my best friend since forever, stood outside wearing her usual confident smile.
Continue reading on the next page…