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[Hot 2026]
(2026) - FULL ENGSUB | Reelshort Hot HD
Full Chinese Movie EngSub
Chinese Drama English Sub Full HD
#shortdrama #bestdrama #actionmovie #Drama #Film #Show #Anime #Movie #cdrama #Movies #BILLIONAIRE #shortdrama #dramashort #shortfilmdrama #minidrama #shortstorydrama #webdrama #indiedrama #shortfilmseries #shortdramaseries #dramashorts #englishmovie #cdrama #drama #movieshortfull
#BillionaireObsession #VirginAuction #MrDelaney #AlphaRomance #DarkDesire #SoldToHim #DailymotionDrama
#goodfilms romance #bestfilmromance #romance #filmromance #drama romance
#fullmovie2026 #Dramavideo #trending
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The summer I turned 18, Asher made me cross a line I could never take back.
00:04I bit my lip through the ache, glowing secretly all night,
00:07convinced that six long years of loving him from a distance had finally, finally paid off.
00:12Then the next morning, I heard his friend laughing outside the classroom door.
00:16Okay, okay. Got the nerd to give it up, huh?
00:19My face burned, and I turned to slip away before anyone saw me.
00:23I'm trying to get with Chloe, but she'd think I was too inexperienced.
00:26So I'll use Stella to get some practice in first.
00:29I didn't say a single word.
00:30I just quietly changed my college application from NYU to a school thousand miles away in California.
00:36His words hit me like a thunderclap out of a cloudless summer sky.
00:40No warning at all. My mind went completely blank.
00:43It was a scorching July afternoon, but I felt like ice was spreading through every inch of my body.
00:48The guys inside kept talking, pausing only for a half second before someone else piped up.
00:54Classic Ashen, even Stella was just a warm-up for him.
00:57Everyone knows how hard it is to get into her pants.
01:03So what does that make her? Like, a practice dully?
01:07Asher just laughed it off.
01:10Relax. She got something out of it, too.
01:13I mean, Stella's cute and all, but compared to Chloe, yeah, no contest.
01:16Right.
01:17Asher threw a textbook at him to shut him up.
01:21It was just a vibe, okay? The moment happened, and honestly, she seemed like she was enjoying herself.
01:26The guys all exchanged knowing looks and started roasting him.
01:30Who knew the book bird was that freaky under all those cardigans?
01:33Bro, Asher's just built different. Why leave free food on the table, right?
01:37She's been chasing him for years. Technically, she got what she wanted.
01:42The laughter inside the room got noticeably louder.
01:44I pressed my teeth into my lower lips so hard I tasted copper.
01:48Both hands balled into white-knuckled fists.
01:50It took every single ounce of willpower I had to stay upright,
01:54to not just crumple right there in the doorway.
01:56Footsteps echoed down the hall toward me.
01:58I snapped back to reality and bolted, shoving my way blindly through the corridor.
02:03In my panic, I threw myself into the nearest bathroom stall and locked the door behind me.
02:11The tears came like a dam breaking, grief and humiliation pouring out all at once.
02:17Asher's words played on a loop inside my head.
02:19Every single syllable.
02:21They shredded what little self-worth I had left.
02:23If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I never could have believed that the guy talking in there
02:28was the same one who had held me like I was something precious just last night.
02:32Turns out, you don't actually need to love someone to do that with them.
02:35Turns out, you can look a girl dead in the eyes, make her feel everything,
02:39and still be lying through every single second of it.
02:42The thing I thought was my happily ever after was just a punchline someone else got to laugh at.
02:47The more I cried, the worse it got.
02:50I couldn't make a sound.
02:51My whole body was shaking so hard I could barely breathe.
02:55A long time passed.
02:56My phone buzzed.
02:57It was Asher.
02:58Just grab an Uber back.
03:00My cruise got a party tonight and it'd be awkward to bring you.
03:03I did reply.
03:04He sent a follow-up.
03:05Also, pick up a warning after pill yourself.
03:08I'm busy today.
03:09Don't forget to take it.
03:10Good girl.
03:10I stared at those two texts for a very, very long time without moving.
03:14From dusk until nearly sunrise, Asher had been relentless, like he had a point in the room.
03:20By the end, we were both completely wrecked.
03:22Right before he drifted off and his arms were out there, he murmured the same thing twice.
03:27We weren't really prepared for the first time.
03:32Get you the pill first thing one morning.
03:34He'd even given me this little lecture about how those needed to take care of themselves.
03:39He said the morning-after pill was really important and that skipping it could mess up my body.
03:44And I had actually thought, this is it.
03:46He's the one.
03:47He's being so responsible.
03:49I finally got my person.
03:51And now, the clarity hit me like a slap.
03:54I dug my nails into my own palm until the pain forced the tears to stop.
03:58I wiped my face, straightened my glasses, and walked out of that bathroom like nothing had happened.
04:03I was too embarrassed to go to a real pharmacy, so I ordered the pill online instead.
04:08When the delivery guy left the package at my door, I waited another long stretch before I could even bring
04:14myself to go get it.
04:15I swallowed it with a mouthful of my own tears, and then I just sat down on the floor, staring
04:20at nothing, completely empty.
04:25Ever since Asher's family had moved next door to mine, I trailed after the life shadow.
04:30That had been ten years of my life.
04:32I had genuinely never stopped to think about what a world without him would even look like.
04:37I couldn't picture it.
04:38But starting right now, I was going to have to figure it out alone.
04:41Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the neighborhood lights blinked on, one by one, and then off again.
04:47At some point, I really didn't know how long I'd been sitting there.
04:51Mia called me on FaceTime.
04:56Stella, why didn't you come to the party tonight with Ashler?
04:59That girl Chloe from the AP track is here, by the way.
05:01She has been all over him since you did the show.
05:04It's actually disgusting.
05:05In the dark corner of the VIP booth, Asher and Chloe were sitting so close together, their thighs were touching.
05:11Chloe had worn a crop top and a curve-hugging miniskirt.
05:14Long tan legs, tiny waist.
05:17Even the way they were talking looked more like whispering secrets than having a conversation.
05:21I could feel the charged energy between them through the screen.
05:25Something in my chest locked up.
05:27He'd only said he wanted to chase her this afternoon, and apparently, tonight was all the time he needed.
05:33The game switched to truth or dare, and Chloe drew a card that said...
05:39Do a push-up challenge with a guy hovering over me.
05:44Predictably, Asher volunteered before anyone else could open their mouth.
05:47Chloe blushed bright pink and lay back against the couch cushions.
05:51Asher planted his hands on either side of her.
05:53He was controlled the whole time, deliberately keeping his body from making contact with hers, until the very last one.
06:01His arms gave out, and his entire weight came down directly on top of her.
06:05The room erupted.
06:07Everyone screaming so loud, the walls practically shook.
06:10Asher's and Chloe's faces went even redder.
06:13With the whole crowd going absolutely feral around them, Asher just tilted his head down and kissed her.
06:18Not a quick peck, a full, deep, for the whole room to see kiss.
06:22Three full minutes before they finally pulled apart.
06:25For all three of those minutes, I sat completely frozen, eyes locked on the screen, barely remembering to breathe.
06:32I wanted to cry so badly.
06:34Oh my god, Stella, did you see that?
06:37He literally kissed her in front of everyone.
06:40He is so into her.
06:42Mia shook her head and stepped out of the booth, turning the camera as she went.
06:46Don't be mad at me.
06:47If I hadn't shown you, you never would have let yourself move on.
06:50I'm not mad at you.
06:52I'm only mad at myself for wasting so many years.
06:56I had always assumed that the spot beside Asher was mine, that it would always be mine.
07:00I am so done with him, Stella.
07:02Who does he think he is?
07:03Watching you love him for years, acting all innocent like he had no idea, just letting you fall deeper and
07:07deeper?
07:08You saw what I showed you.
07:10I'm not giving myself the chance.
07:12Mia, I've already decided I'm going to California with you.
07:16But you have to promise me you'll keep it quiet for now.
07:19Right after I said it, I flipped open my laptop right in front of her.
07:22Without a single second of hesitation, I changed my first choice school to the one in California.
07:27One minute before the deadline.
07:30Mia basically levitated off the ground.
07:32She'd been begging me for months to apply to the same school as her.
07:36But back when we started high school, Asher and I had made this pact.
07:39We'd work hard together and go to his dream school up in Boston after graduation.
07:43It had his aerospace engineering program, the one he'd been obsessed with since we were kids.
07:49So even though I didn't particularly love the idea of brutal winters,
07:52and even though that school was a technical institute that didn't even have my major,
07:57I'd spent three years treating it like my only option.
08:00Our families had lived next door to each other for so long,
08:02that both sets of parents thought it was basically a done deal we'd end up at the same school.
08:07Everyone, including me, assumed Asher and I would just naturally become official once we got to college.
08:12But right now, I couldn't think of a single reason to still go to Boston.
08:17Because honestly, after today, if I kept following Asher around the way I always had,
08:22I would never be able to look myself in the mirror again.
08:25I just needed to go somewhere far away.
08:27It didn't even matter where, as long as he wasn't there.
08:30He was going east, so I was going west.
08:32Before bed, I filled the entire bathtub.
08:35I needed to scrub every inch of myself clean.
08:38But when I took off my clothes, the bruises on my skin were still so vivid it made me flinch.
08:44The memories from last night rushed back before I could stop them.
08:48The burning heat of his skin pressed against mine.
08:51The sound of his breath ragged and warm against my ear.
08:55The ghost of it all still seemed to linger in the air around me.
08:58I shook my head hard, physically trying to shake myself free of it.
09:01Then I grabbed the roughest loofah I owned and scrubbed myself raw, over and over,
09:07until my whole body was flushed pink and stinging.
09:11I was trying, clumsily, desperately, to erase what was officially the worst night of my entire life.
09:18The result was that the pain kept me awake the whole night anyway.
09:22Asher didn't text.
09:23For the first time in six years, ever since we both got phones, we didn't say goodnight to each other.
09:28That was fine. It was going to happen eventually anyway.
09:31Tonight was as good a time as any to start letting go.
09:34I didn't fall asleep until just before sunrise, drifting in and out of exhaustion.
09:39Early the next morning, while I was still buried in sleep,
09:42I felt, in that foggy space between dream and awake, the soft press of lips against my forehead.
09:48I jolted awake.
09:50The first thing my eyes landed on was a jaw I knew too well, and the soft dip of a
09:55throat right above me.
09:56The scent hit me next. Cedarwood. That cologne he always wore.
10:00And underneath it, the faintest trace of something new.
10:03Something citrusy, that wasn't his.
10:05Right. I'd completely forgotten that Asher still knew my front door code.
10:09Seeing me awake, he shifted lower, and tilted his face down toward my lips.
10:14I shoved him back with both hands and scrambled to the far edge of the bed.
10:17He blinked, then let out a short laugh like I'd surprised him.
10:23Since when are you shy?
10:25I didn't answer. I just yanked the blanket over my head and disappeared under it.
10:29Asher started talking.
10:33Stella, seriously.
10:34You didn't say goodnight, you turned your phone off, and now you're hiding under a blanket?
10:38Still avoiding me?
10:40Then he just lifted the blanket and slid himself right in.
10:45Hey, how many times have I told you, you can't skip breakfast?
10:49I ran half a mile to get you those croissants from your favorite place, and it stood in line forever.
10:55Wanna get up and eat now, or get eaten?
11:01Reality crashed back in, and I fought like my life depended on it.
11:05But I'm 5'2 in sneakers, and Asher is literally 6'2 of solid muscle.
11:09I honestly could not figure out what game he was playing.
11:12He had Chloe now, so what was he even doing in my bed?
11:15I tried to push him away, only to be held even tighter.
11:19Let go of me!
11:21After what felt like forever of thrashing around, I was panting, and had accomplished nothing except being held even tighter.
11:27What's the tantrum about?
11:30You're mad because I didn't bring you to the party last night? Over something that small?
11:34I said nothing.
11:35He buried his face in the curve of my neck, and actually laughed.
11:39Let me guess, Mia told you something?
11:42It was a party game, Stella. Is it really worth getting jealous over?
11:46You're doing that thing you always do.
11:48I get slightly close to another girl, and you go all silent and sulky.
11:53I was so furious, I couldn't even form a sentence.
11:56I dredged up something from a self-defense unit in gym class, snapped my knee up hard between us,
12:01and the second he doubled over, I launched myself out of that bed.
12:05Stella.
12:06Asher's jaw went tight, his whole face going red.
12:08I grabbed a hoodie off the floor and yanked it on over my pajamas.
12:13I did not want to be in any room with him, and especially not my bedroom.
12:27Hey, you took that pill yesterday, right?
12:29Because I really don't need that kind of drama, and I definitely don't want to have that conversation with your
12:33parents.
12:42Come on, be reasonable. Eat something before you pick a fight.
12:48You know your stomach's sensitive.
12:58What is actually going on?
13:01Stella, even a tantrum needs a reason.
13:03There have to be some limits here.
13:05I kept my voice ice cold and set it flat.
13:08I don't deserve to have any say.
13:11Asher snapped.
13:12He slammed the cup down on the coffee table so hard it cracked.
13:15The plastic split and the smoothie spilled out in a wave, soaking into the rug.
13:20What is that supposed to mean?
13:23Who do you think you are, Stella?
13:26Who do you think you are?!
13:29We slept together once, it was consensual, and now you think you own me?
13:35Do you know how suffocating that is?
13:38His voice had a viciousness to it I had never heard before.
13:41The second he finished speaking, my eyes flooded.
13:44No warning, no buildup, just instant tears.
13:48Yesterday's humiliation came crashing back, hitting me all over again like a fresh wound.
13:53Asher clearly hadn't expected me to cry this hard this fast.
13:56He looked genuinely thrown, scrambling for what to do.
13:59He crouched down and said he was sorry.
14:02I'm sorry. I drank too much last night and I was out of line just now.
14:06He reached out to wipe my face, but I twisted away, putting distance between us.
14:10His hand froze in mid-air, hovering there.
14:12He opened his mouth to keep trying, but his phone buzzed.
14:15He glanced at the screen once, and his entire expression shifted, and he stood up and moved toward the door.
14:21I've got something urgent. Take a minute to calm down.
14:24We're going to college soon.
14:26You can't keep throwing fits like a little kid who's gonna put up with that.
14:36He hadn't been gone 30 minutes when Mia sent me a screenshot.
14:39Chloe's Instagram story just said,
14:42I'm hungry, and breakfast appeared like magic.
14:44Pretty sure this is mutual now, with a little heart.
14:47The photo was of the exact same croissants that were sitting on my kitchen counter.
14:52I didn't respond.
14:53I just quietly wiped my eyes, got on my hands and knees, and started cleaning up the smoothie Asher had
14:58spilled.
14:59I scrubbed for a long time before I accepted, with a hollow feeling in my chest, that the stain had
15:04soaked all the way through the wool rug and wasn't coming out.
15:07So, I just threw the whole rug in the trash.
15:10It didn't matter anyway.
15:11That rug was something Asher and his parents had spent an entire afternoon picking out on a family trip, and
15:17he'd lugged it home in his carry-on himself.
15:19Then, I went through everything else.
15:21Every single thing Asher had ever left at my place.
15:24Every gift he'd given me over the years.
15:27Every photo of the two of us.
15:28Every small souvenir and keepsake.
15:30It took the rest of the day, but I packed every last bit of it up, and threw it all
15:35out.
15:38I doubted he'd want any of it back anyway.
15:41After he left that day, the silence stretched.
15:44Days went by, and he didn't reach out at all.
15:46Things with Chloe were probably going great.
15:48Or maybe he was waiting for me to be the one who caved first.
15:51In every fight we'd ever had, I was always the one who broke first.
15:55Every single time.
15:56No exceptions.
15:58But this time I didn't go looking for him.
15:59And I didn't have any reason to.
16:01I blocked him on everything.
16:02Text all social media.
16:05Changed my front door code.
16:06And deleted every account he might use to find me.
16:09After that, I called my parents, who were both traveling, for work.
16:12I told them I wanted to spend the summer visiting my aunt on the other side of the country.
16:16My plan was to stay there until school started.
16:19Then head straight to California with Mia, instead of coming home.
16:22Other than Mia, no one else knew yet that I'd changed my application.
16:26This plan should work perfectly.
16:28There was basically zero chance I'd run into Asher if I pulled this off right.
16:32My mom actually laughed over the phone.
16:35Oh, so you and Ashler are taking a vacation together?
16:39I made up a quick excuse and didn't go into detail.
16:42I just told her I wanted to visit my aunt and grandma.
16:45I begged my dad to book me the first available flight, and I was ready to leave that same night.
16:50Of course, because the universe has no chill, I ran into Asher's mom right at our front door on my
16:56way out.
16:56She grabbed my arm warmly and started chattering.
17:00Stella, honey, where's Asher? He's not going to pick you up?
17:03Didn't he say he was taking you on that ski trip?
17:07Go have fun. I am 100% behind you two.
17:12I was confused.
17:13I had mentioned once during senior year that I'd always wanted to try skiing in Colorado, just off hand.
17:19But given everything that had happened between us, the idea of going on a trip together seemed completely impossible.
17:26I was running out of time though, so I said something vague and non-committal and slipped away.
17:31What I never expected was that at the airport, I would come face to face with Asher.
17:38He was with a group of friends.
17:40Chloe was there too.
17:41Asher had her designer bag in one hand and his other arm slung around her shoulder.
17:45They were trailing at the back of the group.
17:47Every so often, Chloe would lean her head toward him to say something.
17:51And every single time, without any hesitation, he would bend down to listen.
17:55He never did that with me.
17:57Asher had always been taller than me, and the gap had only gotten bigger over the years.
18:01When it was the two of us, I was always the one bouncing on my toes, craning my neck up
18:06just to catch his eyes.
18:08Turns out, for the right person, he would be the one who bends.
18:11I breathed in slowly.
18:13I told myself I needed to have some dignity about this.
18:16Whatever he did was none of my business.
18:19If I let myself overthink it, I deserved to be slapped.
18:22But there seemed to be only one path to the gate.
18:24All I could do was stay far enough behind that he wouldn't notice me.
18:28By some miracle, we eventually reached a fork in the terminal where the path split.
18:33Asher seemed to get distracted around then.
18:35He made a bunch of calls, none of which seemed to go through, and then spent a long time staring
18:39at his phone.
18:40Eventually, he borrowed someone else's phone, his face dark and unreadable, and disappeared into a nearby bathroom.
18:47A moment later, my phone rang, unknown number.
18:51So you've got a real attitude on you this time.
18:53You're just not gonna come to me first?
18:56You actually blocked me?
18:59Fine, keep it up.
19:00See how great you do when we're both in Boston and you don't know anyone and there's no one to
19:04look out for you.
19:05Asher came out swinging, rattling off complaints in one long, irritated breath.
19:10I had absolutely nothing to say to any of that.
19:13But Asher seemed to get angrier at my silence.
19:16I'm done talking about this, just unblock me!
19:19I'm heading out of the country for a couple days with some friends.
19:22Probably won't have great reception.
19:26Don't get all weepy about it.
19:28I couldn't even be bothered to say a single word back.
19:31I hung up and turned my phone off.
19:33From across the terminal, I watched Asher stalk back to his group, his expression stormy.
19:38He grabbed Chloe's hand, didn't hesitate for a second, and walked toward the left gate.
19:42I let out a long breath, turned around, and headed right.
19:47With my family, I performed happiness.
19:50And honestly, I got pretty good at it.
19:52I deliberately kept myself slammed with plans, filling every gap in the day so I had no room to spiral.
19:58I definitely didn't add Asher back the way he'd demanded.
20:02But Mia and some others kept me updated on his life anyway.
20:05Asher and his friends had apparently been swimming in Colorado for days.
20:09For some reason, he was suddenly posting on social media every single day.
20:13Which was completely unlike the version of him who used to go months without posting anything.
20:18Sometimes, it was slow motion clips of him carving down the slopes.
20:22Sometimes, it was food and late night parties.
20:24But mostly, it was big group shots of everyone clowning around in the snow.
20:28Even though I genuinely didn't want to see it.
20:30Somehow, people kept sending it to me unprompted.
20:33Everyone was very casually curious about why I hadn't gone with Asher.
20:37I didn't know what to say, so I just told people I had family stuff going on.
20:41Mia was the only one who openly called him a trash human.
20:45Everyone else around me seemed to be constantly stopping themselves from saying something.
20:49I knew.
20:49They'd probably figured out something was wrong.
20:53In every single group photo Asher posted, he and Chloe were glued together.
20:57Inseparable.
20:58But that spot beside him had been mine for years.
21:01Just mine.
21:02Every time I saw one of those photos, my face stayed completely neutral.
21:05But something deep in my chest would clench.
21:08He was the first person I ever fell for.
21:10Someone I had genuinely, completely, embarrassingly loved for such a long time.
21:15In the middle of the night, alone, I would fall apart a little.
21:18And sometimes, I felt this stubborn, stupid feeling that I wasn't ready to let go.
21:22But every time that feeling started rising, I'd replay his words and give myself a mental slap.
21:28I'd repeat it to myself over and over.
21:30Stella, don't be pathetic.
21:32That's the fastest way to make yourself even less worth respecting.
21:36Just hold on a little longer.
21:37Once the detox period was over, everything would be fine.
21:40We went a full month without any contact.
21:43The longest we'd ever gone since the day we met.
21:45Distance and time turned out to be the best medicine.
21:48I ground through the worst of it and came out the other side.
21:51Just when I'd reached the point where I didn't think about him every hour of every day,
21:55he switched to a new number and called me from across the country.
22:01So you're just that bold?
22:03Running off without me and staying this long?
22:06Summer's almost over, Stella.
22:09Did you forget you promised to go on a trip with me?
22:12Maybe it was because we'd gone so long without talking.
22:15But underneath all the complaints, his voice had this edge to it.
22:19Almost careful.
22:19I still didn't want to talk to him.
22:21I was about to hang up when his mom snatched the phone.
22:24Stella!
22:25Sweetheart!
22:26Are you having fun out there?
22:28This boy won't tell me anything.
22:30I only just found out you two had a fight.
22:33Don't be too hard on him, honey.
22:35When you come back, I'll make him apologize to your face.
22:39Oh, and Ashler just got his acceptance letter today.
22:42Yours should come soon, too.
22:43Have you thought about when you'll come home for your going away party?
22:47I've got a little surprise planned.
22:50Asher's mom had been like a second family to me since I was little.
22:53I couldn't bring myself to hang up on her, so I stayed on and let her talk.
22:57I'm not really planning to have a party.
22:59My parents are always traveling, and honestly, we can just do a video call thing with family.
23:04I probably won't be back before school starts anyway.
23:07I'll just come home right before move in.
23:09I didn't even finish the sentence before Asher took the phone back.
23:12His breathing was heavy.
23:14I could feel the anger coming through from 3,000 miles away.
23:19Stella, I'm literally the one reaching out first here.
23:22How much longer are you going to keep this up?
23:25If you don't come back, don't expect me to wait for you.
23:28I'll head to Boston without you.
23:30He delivered the threat in this cold, flat voice.
23:33Waited and waited without getting the answer he wanted.
23:37My acceptance letter had already arrived at home.
23:39When they saw the school name on the letter,
23:41my parents finally found out I'd changed my application.
23:45My mom video called me.
23:46Hi, baby.
23:47Why didn't you talk to us before changing your application?
23:51Does Asher know?
23:52His mom called this morning asking if your letter had come yet.
23:56I had no words.
24:01Baby, how are we supposed to feel okay about you going all the way to California alone?
24:04Aren't you the kid who's terrified of bugs and can't handle heat?
24:09You really think you can manage?
24:10Don't call me to come deal with it for you.
24:13That school has a lot to offer.
24:15And Mia will be going there too.
24:17You don't have to worry.
24:18Is this about a fight with Asher?
24:21Because that's not a reason to switch schools across the country.
24:26What if you change your mind in a week and want him back?
24:29Then what?
24:30It's heart your caption.
24:32I just decided to say it straight.
24:35Asher has a girlfriend.
24:37Mom, Dad, I have my own life and I don't want to just orbit around his forever.
24:44So please support my choice and please keep it between us for now.
24:49My parents looked at each other for a long time without speaking.
24:53The only thing they asked was that I come home sooner rather than later.
24:57School was starting soon and they wanted time with me.
25:00My mom mentioned that Asher had gone off on another trip with friends the very next day after getting his
25:05acceptance letter.
25:06He'd been gone for days.
25:07His mom was apparently calling my mom regularly asking when I was flying back.
25:12On the day I landed, my parents showed up at the airport dressed like they were going somewhere formal.
25:17I woke up from my nap on the drive.
25:19I realized they'd pulled up to a five-star hotel.
25:22I was still half asleep when my mom grabbed my arm and steered me through the lobby.
25:27And right there, standing in the middle of it, was Asher who I hadn't seen in months.
25:32My feet stopped moving on their own.
25:35Asher was in a perfectly fitted black suit, leaning casually beside the lobby fountain, like something out of a magazine
25:41spread.
25:42Just one summer was all it took.
25:44The boyish edge had faded, and he looked exactly like the version of him I used to imagine when I
25:49tried to picture him grown up.
25:51Something complicated twisted in my chest.
25:53I'd avoided this moment for months, and now here it was, sprung on me with no warning.
25:58Stella, it's Ashler's going away party. We figured we'd pick you up and bring you straight here.
26:04You said you didn't want a party of your own, right?
26:07Ashley asked his parents to set the date for the day you got back, so you can kind of both
26:11celebrate together.
26:12Asher seemed to sense something, because right then, he casually glanced over, and his gaze landed directly on mine.
26:19My heart lurched sideways, still felt like the floor dropped out.
26:23But Asher moved first.
26:24He took one step toward us, and then Chloe appeared out of nowhere and slipped her arm through his.
26:30She pulled him along with her, smiling wide, and walked right over to us.
26:35Oh my gosh, Stella, you're back!
26:38I've been wanting to properly meet you forever.
26:41I always saw you around with Asher.
26:44I'm from the AP track, so we never officially met, and I'm genuinely sad about that.
26:52Yeah.
26:53Asher looked vaguely uncomfortable.
26:54Why would you want to get to know her?
26:57She's just a drama queen who throws fits.
27:00I honestly thought she'd stayed in her aunt's state forever.
27:03The world will keep on turning, and your name will be forgotten.
27:07I had nothing to say to that.
27:08There was genuinely no response.
27:10Chloe's silver bodycon dress was covered in tiny crystals that caught every bit of light in the room.
27:16I glanced down at myself.
27:17White tea, jeans, sneakers, hair that still had a slight slept-on wave from the plane.
27:22I looked like I'd made a wrong turn on the way to a convenience store.
27:25I brought a dress for you, baby.
27:27You can go change in the powder room.
27:28I nodded, then shook my head.
27:30There was no point.
27:31This wasn't my party.
27:33Asher kept staring at me with this unreadable expression.
27:36Chloe's eyes kept flicking back and forth between the two of us.
27:39Luckily, a few more guests arrived just then, and Chloe immediately pulled Asher over to greet them.
27:44Like she was already the hostess.
27:46Mom, let's go in.
27:47I'm a little hungry.
27:50It was a small gathering.
27:52Asher had only invited close family and a handful of friends.
27:55Every single person I knew looked visibly shocked when they saw me walk in.
27:59I just smiled and said hello, and acted like I didn't notice.
28:03But nobody was subtle about their curiosity.
28:05The people watching energy was off the charts.
28:09I slipped out to the terrace for some air,
28:12and could immediately hear a small group in the hallway cornering Asher for the gossip.
28:18Wait.
28:19Didn't Stella fall out with you over the Chloe thing?
28:21Why is she here?
28:22Did she come crawling back?
28:24She's just quick-tempered and in a mood.
28:26She always comes around after a couple of days.
28:28We've known each other our whole lives.
28:29She's not actually going to cut me off.
28:30I mean, Stella's genuinely great.
28:32She's been right or died for you for years.
28:34All of us are low-key jealous of how she treats you.
28:35But like, one is your childhood best friend, and honestly, Stella's amazing.
28:40But it also feels kind of limiting.
28:43I'm young.
28:44I don't want to only ever have one person.
28:46That's too predictable.
28:47I need to see what else is out there.
28:49But that doesn't mean anything has to end.
28:51As long as I know there's always a light on at home for me.
28:54You're such a player.
28:55I'd heard enough.
28:57I backed away as quietly as I could.
28:59The evening breeze hit my face, and I felt my eyes go hot.
29:02I just hated myself for spending so many years being blind to who he actually was.
29:08I was in absolutely the worst mood of the entire summer.
29:13But Asher's mom was thrilled to see me, and spent most of dinner doting on me,
29:17refusing to let go of my hand.
29:19Stella, Boston can get really dry in winter.
29:21Let Asher take you shopping tomorrow, and stock up on some good moisturizers.
29:26Oh, it's fine.
29:27There are plenty of shops out there, and online shopping is so easy.
29:30She nodded warmly, and turned to my mom.
29:32I already picked out all the bedding for the dorms.
29:35Got a set for Asher, and one for Stella at the same time, all four seasons covered.
29:39Boston winters are brutal.
29:41I went with really thick comforters, and got a few winter coats for Stella too.
29:45Don't you worry about a thing.
29:47My mom made a face like she'd swallowed something.
29:49All of that would be completely useless in California.
29:52But she didn't want to embarrass anyone, so she thanked her graciously.
29:56Chloe, sitting nearby, looked like she was biting through her own cheek.
30:00Asher's mom didn't seem to notice.
30:01She kept right on talking, addressing both of us.
30:05Once you're both in Boston, you'll be each other's family.
30:08Asher, you better take good care of Stella and stop making her upset.
30:12You hear me?
30:13Asher threw a glance my way with zero expression.
30:16She doesn't need anyone to look after her.
30:18She's perfectly capable of flying on her own.
30:21The table got a little stiff, and that's when Chloe smoothly cut in.
30:24Oh, don't worry. My school is in Boston too.
30:26I'll be there to look after Asher.
30:28And Stella will be all the way in California anyway, so it's not really practical.
30:33Before she even finished the sentence, Asher and his parents' faces changed.
30:38California?
30:39Every single one of them looked at me and asked it at the same time.
30:45Asher, you didn't know? It's been on the school's honor board.
30:48Oh wait, you haven't been back to campus.
30:50Every pair of eyes at the table swiveled to me.
30:53Under the weight of all that attention, I quietly nodded.
30:56My mom stepped in to explain.
30:59Stella made a last-minute decision to change her application.
31:03She's going to a great school in California, and it's actually the perfect program for her.
31:09Asher didn't believe it. He grabbed my hand and made me look at him.
31:13Stella, I literally watched you fill out that application.
31:17We were going to the same school.
31:19His grip was tight enough to actually hurt, and it pushed me over the edge.
31:23Yeah, I changed it. What does it have to do with you?
31:26Asher looked stunned for a second, then started laughing like I'd said something ridiculous.
31:31You're joking.
31:32You're literally the girl who jumps onto my back at the sight of a bug.
31:35And you're moving to California?
31:38And you're moving to California?
31:40I pulled out my phone, found the crystal clear photo of my acceptance letter,
31:44and held it up in his face.
31:46Asher took the phone, zoomed in, zoomed out, read it over and over,
31:50and finally let out a laugh that had no humor in it at all.
31:54In the middle of everyone's gasps, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the dining room.
32:01He pulled me into a side room and locked the door behind us.
32:04Asher planted himself against it, cutting off any escape, and came at me hard.
32:08Stella, I cannot believe you.
32:10You're so mad that you just forget our whole plan, go behind my back, and commitment to a school across
32:15the country.
32:16I lifted my head.
32:17I took a breath and made myself look him straight in the eye.
32:20I have my own plans.
32:22Since when do I have to build my entire future around what you want?
32:26Asher, be honest with yourself.
32:28Are you actually upset about the plan?
32:31Or are you upset because I'm not available to be your fallback girl anymore?
32:34The color drained from his face.
32:36What is that supposed to mean?
32:38Could you not phrase things like that?
32:40We're adults.
32:41That night was completely mutual.
32:43Are you seriously still bringing that up?
32:45I was embarrassed, but I held his gaze anyway.
32:47Asher, if you like someone else, you could have just said so.
32:50I'm not so shameless that I would have kept throwing myself at you.
32:53But you knew you didn't like me back and you just watched me walk straight into the flame.
32:57That was fun for you, wasn't it?
32:58Even now, he still didn't get it.
33:00People don't say goodbye until they've completely run out of hope.
33:03He flushed.
33:04Something in what I said hit.
33:05His face went from white to red and he visibly swayed.
33:09What do you even...
33:10Listen to what you're saying, you...
33:12He couldn't finish the sentence.
33:15Stella, we've known each other since we were eight years old and we're 18 now.
33:19If you're choosing to walk away from what we have, then we don't have to be friends either.
33:24And with just that, he turned and walked out of the hotel.
33:34From that day until the day I left for school, I never saw Asher again.
33:38Mia sent me a screenshot of his official couple's post with Chloe.
33:42I deleted it without even opening it.
33:44Every mutual friend connected to him, I blocked.
33:47There was genuinely no point in following any of it anymore.
33:53The only exception was the day I flew out to California.
33:56Of course, because the universe has a terrible sense of humor.
33:59I walked straight into Asher at the airport again, with Chloe still glued to his side.
34:04When we passed each other, he said a stiff hello to my parents and kept walking, clearly still angry.
34:10He didn't look at me once.
34:11We scattered in different directions and neither of us looked back.
34:14Right before I got to the security line, I glanced over and caught Asher at his gate, about to board.
34:20He gave me one cold, flat look and then disappeared through the door without turning around.
34:25The person who had been part of every chapter of my growing up.
34:28We were finally completely done.
34:30Different destinations at last.
34:32And I hope yours goes well.
34:34I said it only to myself.
34:36After that, a long, long time passed without either of us hearing a single thing about the other.
34:41I specifically asked my parents not to bring up anything related to Asher or his family in front of me.
34:47Over New Year's break, a girl from our high school came to visit.
34:50He's nothing like that cold, focused, straight A guy he was in high school.
34:55He's completely different.
34:59Honestly, if you ran into him now, you might not even recognize him.
35:03I didn't say anything.
35:05Mia kicked her under the table and smoothly changed the subject.
35:08And the girl dropped it.
35:09We did the New Year's countdown by the water.
35:12And Mia told me to make a wish.
35:14Hope New Year, Syria parent healthy, conceding under the world.
35:17I realized it was the first wish I'd ever made that had absolutely nothing to do with him.
35:22For a full six years of my life, every single wish I made had involved Asher in some way.
35:29Mia, Happy New Year!
35:31I felt genuinely happy.
35:33I knew I had finally, actually, completely let go.
35:37The first winter break of college, I missed my parents so badly I couldn't stand it.
35:42The second my last exam was done, I was on the first flight home.
35:46What I didn't expect was that Asher had come to the airport with my parents to pick me up.
35:51After half a year apart, we had both changed.
35:54He was thinner, had dyed his hair, but was still, honestly, annoyingly good looking.
35:59I've always had terrible judgment about people, but my taste has never been the problem.
36:03Why else would I have been trailing after him since we were five?
36:07Hey there, big bro Asher.
36:08He stared at me like I'd spoken a different language.
36:11We ran into him outside. He insisted on coming along to help.
36:15I smiled and waved her off. It was fine.
36:20In the car, I immediately launched into all the funny things that had happened at school.
36:24And my parents were the whole ride. No one was paying any attention to Asher.
36:30You've worked hard. Please send our regards to your parents.
36:33He seemed like he wanted to come inside when we got home.
36:35But all three of us politely turned him down together.
36:38My grandma and my aunt had both come back to celebrate the holidays that year.
36:42New Year's Eve was loud and packed with family.
36:45After the big dinner, the older relatives parked themselves in front of the TV,
36:48while the rest of us were teaching each other card games.
36:51That's when Asher showed up at the door with his parents, arms full of bags.
36:55Our house is too quiet tonight. Hope you don't mind us crashing your game.
37:03Our house is too quiet tonight. Hope you don't mind us crashing your game.
37:06Asher's mom laughed as she walked in.
37:08Every year growing up, the two families had spent the holiday together.
37:12This year, because of everything that had happened,
37:15my mom had turned down the invitation to share the big dinner.
37:18But you can't exactly turn people away once they're at your door.
37:22Asher settled himself naturally.
37:23My cousins had no idea about any of the drama and kept teasing us like they always had.
37:28I laughed it off.
37:30It's not what you think.
37:32Asher's expression went a little flat.
37:34When midnight came and we all went outside for sparklers,
37:38he caught my arm and looked like he was working up to say something.
37:42My phone rang.
37:43My face went a little warm.
37:45It was a guy from one of my clubs at school.
37:48Hi Stella.
37:49I'm just a bit bored and wanted to say Happy New Year to you.
37:52A local California boy named Jake.
37:55He was good looking too.
37:56Not in that cold, aloof way.
37:58More like the guy who's always laughing at everything.
38:01And making you laugh right along with him.
38:03He never ran out of things to say.
38:05And he had a way of making me completely lose it at the most random things.
38:09We talked for a while longer.
38:10And when he finally hung up, Asher was standing right behind me with a face like a thundercloud.
38:16Boyfriend?
38:19Not yet, I guess.
38:23Not yet, I guess.
38:25I thought about it and answered honestly.
38:27I assumed he was done.
38:28But then he spoke again.
38:30Long distance guys aren't always reliable.
38:32You should find someone local.
38:34Someone you actually know.
38:38I nodded.
38:39Something in that seemed to land somewhere tender.
38:41You're right.
38:42You really can't tell with people.
38:43I'll keep my guard up.
38:46Asher went quiet for a very long time.
38:48I assumed he was done.
38:49I didn't think too hard about it.
38:52Thanks for the advice big bro.
38:54You should figure out your own situation too.
38:56He'd always been unpredictable like that.
38:58After that, I spent the rest of break bouncing around visiting relatives with my grandma and parents.
39:03And then we did a little road trip.
39:05I was barely home.
39:06I didn't run into Asher once.
39:08The break was short and soon enough I was back at school.
39:11But the very next day after I arrived, Asher was standing outside my campus gate.
39:17Asher, what are you doing here?
39:19I wanted to see what your school looks like.
39:22And check if you're actually doing okay out here.
39:26Really well actually.
39:27The food here is amazing.
39:28You should look up some spots and try them.
39:30Stella, can't you come eat with me just once?
39:37Sorry about that man.
39:38I've already got Stella booked.
39:39You'll have to get in line.
39:42Stella, you came back to school this early for him?
39:47Sorry Asher.
39:49We're heading out to eat.
39:50I'll see you.
39:51Let's go.
39:52Didn't you say the place was far?
39:53Stop standing there.
39:55Asher was still standing at the campus gate watching us.
39:57And under the shadow of the trees, he looked incredibly alone.
40:01He suddenly started showing up in my world constantly.
40:05I never found out what excuse he gave his school, but he kept appearing in California out of nowhere.
40:10He started showing up with gifts, flowers, bags, jewelry, and I turned every single one down.
40:15When there was nothing else to do, he'd just sit outside my dorm building and refuse to leave no matter
40:21how many times I asked.
40:22Whenever he managed to catch me, he'd fallen to step beside me to every single class, then follow me to
40:28the dining hall.
40:29Jake was visibly miserable about the whole thing.
40:31Asher's mom had been calling and messaging me from multiple angles.
40:35She begged me to please talk some sense into him.
40:37I was beyond done.
40:39I genuinely could not figure out what Asher thought he was doing.
40:44Stella, why does Jake get to pursue you but I don't?
40:50He's known you for what, a few months?
40:52How many years have I known you?
40:55No one in this world understands you the way I do.
40:58Not even your parents.
40:59And no one is better for you than me.
41:07Ashler, do you genuinely not remember what you did?
41:11Ask yourself honestly.
41:13Did you ever actually treat my feelings like they mattered?
41:18You just liked the ego boost of having me chase after you.
41:22You knew no matter what you did, I wouldn't leave.
41:24So you just did whatever you felt like with my heart.
41:28Yeah, I did some things wrong back then.
41:31I was young, I thought the whole world was waiting for me.
41:34And I didn't want to feel like I was tied to any one person.
41:37I owe you a real apology, Stella.
41:39I'm sorry.
41:41But even if you treat me like a stranger, can I at least have the chance to start over and
41:45earn it back?
41:46After you left, I realized I don't know how to live without you in it.
41:50I can't imagine going forward and not having anyone to share everything with.
41:54Honestly, since leaving you, I figured out that real, mutual feelings don't require you to shrink yourself down to nothing.
42:01I can just be myself.
42:03My mood doesn't have to orbit around someone else's.
42:05And when I realized that, I started to wonder if what I felt back then was ever real love,
42:11or just something a younger, more naive version of me invented.
42:17But, but, but, we made promises.
42:23We said we'd go to college together, study abroad together, travel the whole world together.
42:28Are you going to walk away from all of that too?
42:30Stella, are you going to leave all this behind too?
42:33You broke the promises first.
42:36And I've already found someone I want to do all of those things with.
42:42Stop, Stella, please, just stop.
42:49Maybe you're not actually in love with me.
42:51Maybe you just can't stand the idea of losing.
42:54Asher, honestly, it's time for you to move on too.
43:01I didn't wait for a response.
43:02Jake had been waiting across the street for a while.
43:05I jogged over, and he immediately reached down and took my hand.
43:10Finally shook the ex?
43:13Did you tell him I've got full bug patrol rights now?
43:16He doesn't get a single one.
43:19Everyone is going through their own goodbyes.
43:21As for us, it's finally completely over.
43:26Fading away like the rain.
43:28Everyone in the middle of their own goodbye.
43:30And just like that, the two of us were finally completely over.
43:34Scattered like rain.
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