My relationship with Brayden Lewis began when the allure of something new eclipsed the comfort of what was known, and ended when the familiar proved to be more enduring than the thrill of novelty.

In my junior year of high school, I transferred to a new school and quickly claimed the top spot in the class. Back then, teachers thought that pairing a high-achieving girl with a struggling boy could somehow boost his performance. That's how I ended up seated next to Brayden Lewis.

However, Brayden had zero interest in academics and was far more captivated by me. He'd tug on my hair or snatch my pen and hold it high with a cheeky grin.

"Evelyn, you're so short," he'd quip.

During class, he'd pass me little notes, often quick sketches of me. Just as I was about to tell him off for being a distraction, the teacher spotted the note and decided to display it to the entire class, promptly sending both of us out to stand in the hallway as punishment.

I was the model student back then, never before subjected to such humiliation. My eyes brimmed with frustration as I shoved Brayden. "Brayden, have you lost your mind?"

He knew he was in the wrong and didn't say a word. After a while, he folded the note into a star and quietly placed it in my hand.

As I looked at the star, I couldn't help but smile through my tears.

Our relationship began to blossom. I insisted on helping him with schoolwork until he understood, checking his homework to make sure he didn't just copy answers. He'd wait for me outside my building every day, and we'd walk to and from school together, browsing the little accessory shops along the way. On a whim, I bought two star necklaces and gave one to him.

Brayden was a big deal at school—handsome, from a well-off family, a football star, and popular among the girls. One day, a girl stopped me, asking if I liked Brayden.

My teenage pride and inexplicable irritation made me blurt out, "I wouldn't go for someone who scores lower than I do."

The girl shifted her gaze to someone standing behind me. Turning quickly, I realized Brayden had been there, overhearing who knows how much. He walked past me without a word.

After that, Brayden never reached out to me again. He stopped talking to me in class, didn't wait for me after school, and we sat silently side by side every day.

I wanted to explain, but he never gave me a chance.

A year later, Brayden's academic progress was astonishing. He tied with me for first place. That evening, he called out to me, his voice earnest, "Evelyn, my grades aren't lower than yours anymore. Can you consider liking me now?"

By now, my memories of that time have grown vague. I just remember the maple trees at school blooming vibrantly, their leaves swirling in the wind, and Brayden's eyes shining brighter than a supernova.

Starlight journeyed across the vast expanse of the universe and landed directly in my heart. In that moment, I heard my own voice say, "Yes."

And just like that, we were together. Young love is like wildfire, impossible to contain. We were inseparable. Brayden introduced me to all his friends, even getting a tattoo of my name. I said I wanted to go to Oxford, and he promised we'd attend the same university.

His newfound academic diligence delighted his mom, and since my grades hadn't dropped, both our parents and teachers chose to look the other way. We became the only openly dating couple at school.

Back then, I truly believed we would last forever. That was until I discovered there was another girl in his heart, one who mattered more than I did.

Brayden had a childhood friend named Adalynn, someone who grew up alongside him. Her father used to work as Brayden's father's chauffeur. During a tragic sea accident, he sacrificed himself to save Brayden’s father, but unfortunately, he didn’t return alive.

Brayden's father, Arturo, was a man with strong principles. Without hesitation, he took in Adalynn and her mother, vowing to treat Adalynn as his own daughter and to care for them both indefinitely.

Adalynn was constantly by Brayden's side, even after we started dating, tagging along on our walks to and from school. This led to countless arguments between Brayden and me. When Adalynn finally stopped joining us, I felt a wave of relief. But then, just a few days later, she was back, leaning on Brayden for support.

"I'm sorry, Evelyn," she said with a sweet, apologetic smile. "I know you'd prefer I didn’t join you, but I twisted my ankle, and Brayden insisted on walking me home."

Brayden's attention was completely on her, his brow furrowed as he gently scolded her. "You twisted your ankle and didn’t tell me? Were you planning to hop home if I hadn’t come to get you? Hop on."

I still remember that day vividly. Brayden carried Adalynn on his back, walking ahead of me. She lay against him, sharing stories from their childhood, leaving no room for me in their conversation.

She whimpered teasingly, "Brayden, my foot hurts so much!"

I had never heard Brayden speak so softly, "Does it really hurt that much? What should we do?"

"I want a spiced honey cake from that bakery on the corner, the priciest one!"

"Alright, I’ll take you home first, then go get it for you."

"Brayden, can I walk with you again in the future? When I walk alone, those guys outside the school stare at me, and it freaks me out."

Brayden's brow furrowed more deeply, "Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, and from now on, you’re not walking alone."

Adalynn smiled and glanced back at me. "Okay."

…

As the sun set, their shadows stretched long and intertwined, inseparable. I was drifting further and further behind, yet Brayden never looked back to check on me.

Only after he had safely delivered Adalynn home did he finally turn to me and say, "I need to get that cake for Adalynn. I won’t be walking you home today."

"Evelyn, you should head back on your own."

I watched him for a long moment before turning away and walking home.

After the incident, Brayden and I barely spoke for a whole week. Initially, he didn't think he'd done anything wrong.

"I've always thought of Adalynn as a sister," he insisted. "She hurt her leg; I couldn't just leave her there."

I kept my face neutral. "If her leg was injured, she could have called her mom, or your family's driver could have picked her up. Why did she need to wait specifically for you?"

"You think of her as a sister, but does she think of you as a brother? Are you really saying you don't know she has feelings for you?"

Brayden's eyes shifted, and then he let out a sigh, pulling me into an embrace. "Evelyn, you're the only one I care about. I'll speak to her and make some distance, alright?"

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Alright."

After that, Brayden did have a conversation with Adalynn. I don’t know what he said, but I know she left the classroom in tears and stopped seeking him out. I thought that would resolve everything.

But then, Brayden approached me, looking uneasy. "Adalynn says there’s this guy from another school who’s been bothering her. She’s told him no several times, but he won’t leave her alone. Today, he invited her and some friends to hang out, and she wants me to pretend to be her boyfriend to scare him off."

Watching for my reaction, he added, "Just for one night, to make him back off."

"We've been through this before, haven't we? Today she twists her ankle and needs you to carry her home, tomorrow someone bothers her and you pretend to be her boyfriend—what’s next?"

Brayden, who’s always been patient and kind with me, said, "If it weren't for my dad's accident, Adalynn's father wouldn't have died saving him. She'd have her father to look out for her now. I can't just abandon her. Just this once, if it makes things easier, how about you come along too?"

I realized arguing further was pointless and reluctantly agreed.

"Just for one day. I’ll go with you."

Brayden's face lit up with a smile, and he gently cupped my face to give me a quick kiss. "You're really understanding, and I love you more than anything!"