- il y a 4 heures
She thought their kiss meant something real. But after taking her first love and humiliating her in front of his friends, he cruelly calls her nothing more than practice for the school’s Prom Queen. Heartbroken and shattered, she disappears without a trace.
Years later, the boy who once treated her like a joke can’t forget her. Haunted by guilt and regret, he searches desperately for the girl he destroyed. But the quiet, innocent girl he once knew no longer exists. She has rebuilt herself into someone stronger, colder, and impossible to hurt again.
As old secrets resurface and emotions reignite, both must confront the pain of first love, betrayal, jealousy, and the consequences of cruel choices made in youth.
Chasing the Girl He Hid is an emotional modern youth romance filled with heartbreak, regret, toxic popularity, revenge, second chances, and intense first-love drama. Perfect for fans of high school romance and emotional redemption stories.
#YouthRomance #HighSchoolDrama #FirstLove #RomanceDrama #SecondChanceRomance #Heartbreak #ModernDrama #TeenRomance #MiniDrama #LoveStory
#ShortDrama #MicroDrama #ShortDramaFullMovie #MicroDramaFull #VerticalDrama #MiniSeries #DramaFullMovie #RomanticDrama #RevengeDrama #TrendingDrama #BingeWatch #FullEpisode #ShortFilm #DramaSeries #ViralDrama
Years later, the boy who once treated her like a joke can’t forget her. Haunted by guilt and regret, he searches desperately for the girl he destroyed. But the quiet, innocent girl he once knew no longer exists. She has rebuilt herself into someone stronger, colder, and impossible to hurt again.
As old secrets resurface and emotions reignite, both must confront the pain of first love, betrayal, jealousy, and the consequences of cruel choices made in youth.
Chasing the Girl He Hid is an emotional modern youth romance filled with heartbreak, regret, toxic popularity, revenge, second chances, and intense first-love drama. Perfect for fans of high school romance and emotional redemption stories.
#YouthRomance #HighSchoolDrama #FirstLove #RomanceDrama #SecondChanceRomance #Heartbreak #ModernDrama #TeenRomance #MiniDrama #LoveStory
#ShortDrama #MicroDrama #ShortDramaFullMovie #MicroDramaFull #VerticalDrama #MiniSeries #DramaFullMovie #RomanticDrama #RevengeDrama #TrendingDrama #BingeWatch #FullEpisode #ShortFilm #DramaSeries #ViralDrama
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Court métrageTranscription
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?
00:20My 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.
00:37His 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.
01:18Asher 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 Bookberg was that freaky under all those cardigans?
01:34Bro, 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.
01:41The laughter inside the room got noticeably louder.
01:45I 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.
02:02In 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,
02:25I never could have believed that the guy talking in there was the same one who had held me
02:30like 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,
02:38make her feel everything,
02:39and still be lying through every single second of it.
02:42The thing I thought was my happily ever after
02:45was just a punchline someone else got to laugh at.
02:48The more I cried, the worse it got.
02:50But I 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 crew's got a party tonight,
03:01and it'd be awkward to bring you.
03:03I didn't reply.
03:04He sent a follow-up.
03:05Also, pick up a morning 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.
03:15From dusk until nearly sunrise,
03:17Asher had been relentless,
03:18like he had a puke in the room.
03:20By the end, we were both completely wrecked.
03:22Right before he drifted off from his arms wrapping,
03:25he murmured the same thing twice.
03:27We weren't really prepared for the first time.
03:32I got you the pill first thing for a morning.
03:35He'd even given me this little lecture about how people needed to take care of themselves.
03:39Said the morning after pill was really important,
03:42and that skipping it could mess up my body.
03:44And I had actually thought,
03:45This is it.
03:46He's the one.
03:47He's being so responsible.
03:49I finally got my purse in.
03:51Now, 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,
04:01and walked out of that bathroom like nothing had happened.
04:03I was too embarrassed to go to a real pharmacy,
04:06so I ordered the pill online instead.
04:08When the delivery guy left the package at my door,
04:11I waited another long stretch
04:12before I could even bring myself to go get it.
04:15I swallowed it with a mouthful of my own tears,
04:17and then I just sat down on the floor,
04:20staring at nothing,
04:21completely empty.
04:25Ever since Asher's family moved next door to mine,
04:28I trailed after the light shadow.
04:30That had been ten years of my life.
04:32I had genuinely never stopped to think about
04:34what a world without him would even look like.
04:36I couldn't picture it,
04:38but starting right now,
04:39I was going to have to figure it out alone.
04:41Outside the floor-to-ceiling window,
04:43the neighborhood lights blinked on,
04:45one by one,
04:46and then off again.
04:47At some point,
04:48I really didn't know how long I'd been sitting there.
04:50Mia 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.
05:02She has been all over him since you did the show.
05:04It's actually disgusting.
05:05In the dark corner of the VIP booth,
05:07Asher and Chloe were sitting so close together,
05:10their thighs were touching.
05:11Chloe had worn a crop top and a curve-hugging mini skirt,
05:14long tan legs, tiny waist.
05:17Even the way they were talking
05:18looked more like whispering secrets
05:20than having a conversation.
05:22I could feel the charged energy between them
05:24through the screen.
05:25Something in my chest locked up.
05:27He'd only said he wanted to chase her this afternoon,
05:29and apparently,
05:30tonight was all the time he needed.
05:33The game switched to truth or dare,
05:34and Chloe drew a card that said,
05:39Do a push-up challenge with a guy hovering over me.
05:44Predictably, Asher and Alan appeared before anyone else could open their mouth.
05:48Chloe blushed bright pink and lay back against the couch cushions.
05:51Asher planted his hands on either side of her.
05:54He was controlled the whole time,
05:56deliberately keeping his body from making contact with hers,
05:59until the very last one.
06:00His arms gave out,
06:02and his entire weight came down directly on top of her.
06:05The room erupted.
06:07Everyone screaming so loud,
06:09the walls practically shook.
06:10Asher's and Chloe's faces went even redder.
06:13With the whole crowd going absolutely feral around them,
06:16Asher just tilted his head down and kissed her.
06:18Not a quick peck,
06:19a full, deep,
06:21for the whole room to see kiss.
06:23Three full minutes before they finally pulled apart.
06:25For all three of those minutes,
06:27I sat completely frozen,
06:28eyes locked on the screen,
06:30barely remembering to breathe.
06:32I wanted to cry so badly.
06:34Oh my god, Stella,
06:36did you see that?
06:37He literally kissed her in front of everyone.
06:40He is so into her.
06:43Mia shook her head and stepped out of the booth,
06:45turning the camera as she went.
06:46Don't be mad at me.
06:47If I hadn't shown you,
06:49you 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,
06:59that 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,
07:05acting all innocent like he had no idea,
07:06just letting you fall deeper and deeper?
07:08You saw what I showed you.
07:10I'm not giving myself the chance.
07:12Mia,
07:13I'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,
07:20I flipped open my laptop right in front of her.
07:22Without a single second of hesitation,
07:24I changed my first choice school to the one in California,
07:28one minute before the deadline.
07:30Mia basically levitated off the ground.
07:32She'd been begging me for months
07:34to apply to the same school as her.
07:36But back when we started high school,
07:38Asher and I had made this pact.
07:39We'd work hard together
07:40and go to his dream school up in Boston after graduation.
07:44It had his aerospace engineering program,
07:46the 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
07:55that 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
08:05we'd end up at the same school.
08:07Everyone, including me,
08:09assumed Asher and I would just naturally become official
08:11once we got to college.
08:13But right now, I couldn't think of a single reason
08:15to still go to Boston.
08:17Because honestly, after today,
08:19if 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,
08:29as long as he wasn't there.
08:30He was going east, so I was going west.
08:33Before bed, I filled the entire bathtub.
08:35I needed to scrub every inch of myself clean.
08:38But when I took off my clothes,
08:40the bruises on my skin were still so vivid,
08:43it made me flinch.
08:44The memories from last night rushed back
08:47before 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,
08:59physically trying to shake myself free of it.
09:02Then, I grabbed the roughest loofah I owned
09:04and scrubbed myself raw,
09:06over and over,
09:07until my whole body was flushed pink and singing.
09:11I was trying,
09:12clumsily,
09:13desperately,
09:13to erase what was officially
09:15the 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,
09:25ever since we both got phones,
09:27we didn't say goodnight to each other.
09:28That was fine.
09:29It 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,
09:37drifting in and out of exhaustion.
09:39Early the next morning,
09:40while I was still buried in sleep,
09:42I felt,
09:43in that foggy space between dream and awake,
09:46the soft press of lips against my forehead.
09:49I jolted awake.
09:50The first thing my eyes landed on
09:51was a jaw I knew too well
09:53and the soft dip of a throat right above me.
09:56The scent hit me next.
09:57Cedarwood.
09:58That cologne he always wore.
10:00And underneath it,
10:01the faintest trace of something new.
10:03Something citrusy
10:04that wasn't his.
10:05Right.
10:06I'd completely forgotten
10:07that Asher still knew my front door code.
10:09Seeing me awake,
10:11he shifted lower
10:11and tilted his face down toward my lips.
10:14I shoved him back with both hands
10:15and scrambled to the far edge of the bed.
10:17He blinked,
10:18then let out a short laugh
10:19like I'd surprised him.
10:23Since when are you shy?
10:25I didn't answer.
10:26I just yanked the blanket over my head
10:28and disappeared under it.
10:29Asher started talking.
10:33Stella, seriously.
10:34You didn't say goodnight,
10:35you turned your phone off
10:36and now you're hiding under a blanket?
10:38Still avoiding me?
10:40Then he just lifted the blanket
10:42and slid himself right in.
10:45Hey, how many times have I told you
10:47you can't skip breakfast?
10:49I ran half a mile
10:51to get you those croissants
10:52from your favorite place
10:53and it stood in line forever.
10:55Wanna get up and eat now?
10:57Or get eaten?
11:01Reality crashed back in
11:02and I fought like my life depended on it.
11:05But I'm 5'2 in sneakers
11:06and Asher is literally 6'2 of solid muscle.
11:09I honestly could not figure out
11:11what game he was playing.
11:12He had Chloe now,
11:13so what was he even doing in my bed?
11:15I tried to push him away
11:17only to be held even tighter.
11:19Let go of me!
11:21After what felt like forever
11:22of thrashing around,
11:23I was panting
11:24and had accomplished nothing
11:25except being held even tighter.
11:27What's the tantrum about?
11:30You're mad because I didn't bring you
11:32to the party last night?
11:33Over something that small?
11:34I said nothing.
11:35He buried his face
11:36in the curve of my neck
11:37and actually laughed.
11:39Let me guess.
11:41Mia told you something?
11:42It was a party game, Stella.
11:44Is it really worth getting jealous over?
11:46You're doing that thing you always do.
11:48I get slightly close to another girl
11:50and you go all silent and sulky.
11:53I was so furious,
11:54I couldn't even form a sentence.
11:56I dredged up something
11:57from a self-defense unit in gym class,
11:59snapped my knee up hard between us,
12:01and the second he doubled over,
12:03I launched myself out of that bed.
12:05Stella.
12:06Asher's jaw went tight,
12:07his whole face going red.
12:09I grabbed a hoodie off the floor
12:10and yanked it on over my pajamas.
12:13I did not want to be in any room with him,
12:16and especially not my bedroom.
12:27Hey, you took that pill yesterday, right?
12:29Because I really don't need that kind of drama,
12:31and I definitely don't want to have
12:32that conversation with your parents.
12:42Come on, be reasonable.
12:43Eat 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
13:07and 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
13:14so hard it cracked.
13:15The plastic split,
13:17and the smoothie spilled out in a wave,
13:19soaking 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,
13:32and 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,
13:50hitting 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.
14:03I 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,
14:09putting distance between us.
14:10His hand froze in midair, 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,
14:19and he stood up and moved toward the door.
14:21I've got something urgent.
14:22Take a minute to calm down.
14:24We're going to college soon.
14:26You can't keep throwing fits like a little kid.
14:29Who's going to 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
14:50that were sitting on my kitchen counter.
14:52I didn't respond.
14:53I just quietly wiped my eyes, got on my hands and knees,
14:56and started cleaning up the smoothie Asher had spilled.
14:59I scrubbed for a long time before I accepted,
15:01with a hollow feeling in my chest
15:03that the stain had soaked all the way through the wool rug,
15:06and wasn't coming out.
15:08So, I just threw the whole rug in the trash.
15:10It didn't matter anyway.
15:11That rug was something Asher and his parents
15:13had spent an entire afternoon picking out on a family trip,
15:17and he'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,
15:32but I packed every last bit of it up,
15:34and threw it all out.
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,
15:53I was always the one who broke first.
15:55Every single time.
15:57No 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.
16:03Text, 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,
16:10who were both traveling for work.
16:12I told them I wanted to spend the summer
16:14visiting 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,
16:21instead of coming home.
16:22Other than Mia,
16:23no 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
16:31if I pulled this off right.
16:32My mom actually laughed over the phone.
16:36Ooh, 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,
16:47and I was ready to leave that same night.
16:50Of course, because the universe has no chill,
16:52I ran into Asher's mom right at our front door
16:55on my way out.
16:56She grabbed my arm warmly and started chattering.
17:00Stella, honey, where's Asher?
17:02He's not going to pick you up?
17:03Didn't he say he was taking you on that ski trip?
17:07Go have fun.
17:09I am 100% behind you two.
17:12I was confused.
17:13I had mentioned once during senior year
17:16that I'd always wanted to try skiing in Colorado,
17:19just offhand.
17:19But given everything that had happened between us,
17:22the idea of going on a trip together
17:24seemed completely impossible.
17:26I was running out of time, though,
17:28so I said something vague and non-committal
17:30and slipped away.
17:31What I never expected was that at the airport,
17:33I 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
17:43and 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
17:49toward him to say something.
17:51And every single time,
17:52without any hesitation,
17:54he would bend down to listen.
17:55He never did that with me.
17:57Asher had always been taller than me,
17:59and the gap had only gotten bigger over the years.
18:02When it was the two of us,
18:03I was always the one bouncing on my toes,
18:05craning my neck up just to catch his eyes.
18:08Turns out, for the right person,
18:10he 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.
18:18If I let myself overthink it,
18:20I deserved to be slapped.
18:22But there seemed to be only one path to the gate.
18:25All I could do was stay far enough behind
18:27that he wouldn't notice me.
18:28By some miracle,
18:29we eventually reached a fork in the terminal
18:31where the path split.
18:33Asher seemed to get distracted around then.
18:35He made a bunch of calls,
18:36none of which seemed to go through,
18:38and then spent a long time staring at his phone.
18:40Eventually, he borrowed someone else's phone,
18:43his face dark and unreadable,
18:44and disappeared into a nearby bathroom.
18:47A moment later,
18:48my phone rang.
18:49Unknown number.
18:51So you've got a real attitude on you this time.
18:53You're just not going to 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
19:02and you don't know anyone
19:03and there's no one to look out for you.
19:05Asher came out swinging,
19:06rattling off complaints in one long, irritated breath.
19:09I 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.
19:17Just unblock me.
19:19I'm heading out of the country
19:20for a couple of 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
19:29to say a single word back.
19:31I hung up and turned my phone off.
19:33From across the terminal,
19:34I watched Asher stalk back to his group,
19:36his expression stormy.
19:38He grabbed Chloe's hand,
19:39didn't hesitate for a second,
19:41and walked toward the left gate.
19:43I let out a long breath,
19:44turned around,
19:45and headed right.
19:47With my family,
19:49I performed happiness.
19:50And honestly,
19:51I got pretty good at it.
19:52I deliberately kept myself slammed with plans,
19:55filling every gap in the day
19:57so I had no room to spiral.
19:59I definitely didn't add Asher back
20:00the way he'd demanded.
20:02But Mia and some others
20:03kept me updated on his life anyway.
20:05Asher and his friends
20:06had apparently been swimming in Colorado for days.
20:09For some reason,
20:10he was suddenly posting on social media
20:12every single day,
20:13which was completely unlike the version of him
20:15who used to go months without posting anything.
20:18Sometimes it was slow motion clips of him
20:20carving down the slopes.
20:22Sometimes it was food and late night parties.
20:24But mostly it was big group shots
20:26of 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
20:35about why I hadn't gone with Asher.
20:37I didn't know what to say,
20:38so I just told people I had family stuff going on.
20:41Mia was the only one
20:42who openly called him a trash human.
20:45Everyone else around me
20:46seemed to be constantly stopping themselves
20:47from saying something.
20:49I knew they'd probably figured out
20:51something was wrong.
20:53In every single group photo Asher posted,
20:56he and Chloe were glued together,
20:57inseparable.
20:58But that spot beside him
20:59had been mine for years,
21:01just mine.
21:02Every time I saw one of those photos,
21:04my 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,
21:12completely, embarrassingly loved
21:14for such a long time.
21:15In the middle of the night,
21:16alone,
21:17I would fall apart a little,
21:18and sometimes I felt this stubborn,
21:20stupid feeling that I wasn't ready to let go.
21:22But every time that feeling started rising,
21:25I'd replay his words
21:26and 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
21:33to make yourself even less worth respecting.
21:36Just hold on a little longer.
21:37Once the detox period was over,
21:39everything would be fine.
21:40We went a full month without any contact,
21:43the longest we'd ever gone
21:44since the day we met.
21:45Distance and time turned out
21:47to be the best medicine.
21:48I ground through the worst of it
21:49and came out the other side.
21:51Just when I'd reached the point
21:52where I didn't think about him
21:53every hour of every day,
21:55he switched to a new number
21:56and called me from across the country.
22:01So you're just that bold,
22:03running off without me
22:04and staying this long?
22:06Summer's almost over, Stella.
22:09Did you forget you promised
22:11to go on a trip with me?
22:12Maybe it was because
22:13we'd gone so long without talking,
22:15but underneath all the complaints,
22:16his voice had this edge to it,
22:19almost careful.
22:20I still didn't want to talk to him.
22:21I was about to hang up
22:22when his mom snatched the phone.
22:24Stella, sweetheart,
22:26are you having fun out there?
22:28This boy won't tell me anything.
22:30I only just found out
22:31you two had a fight.
22:33Don't be too hard on him, honey.
22:35When you come back,
22:36I'll make him apologize to your face.
22:39Oh, and Ashler
22:40just got his acceptance letter today.
22:42Yours should come soon, too.
22:44Have you thought about
22:45when you'll come home
22:46for your going-away party?
22:48I've got a little surprise planned.
22:50Asher's mom had been
22:51like a second family to me
22:52since I was little.
22:53I couldn't bring myself
22:54to hang up on her,
22:55so I stayed on and let her talk.
22:57I'm not really planning
22:58to have a party.
22:59My parents are always traveling,
23:01and honestly,
23:02we can just do a video call thing
23:03with family.
23:04I probably won't be back
23:05before school starts anyway.
23:07I'll just come home
23:08right before move in.
23:09I didn't even finish the sentence
23:10before Asher took the phone back.
23:12His breathing was heavy.
23:13I could feel the anger
23:15coming through
23:15from 3,000 miles away.
23:19Stella,
23:20I'm literally the one
23:21reaching out first here.
23:22How much longer
23:23are you going to keep this up?
23:25If you don't come back,
23:26don't expect me to wait for you.
23:28I'll head to Boston without you.
23:30He delivered the threat
23:31in this cold, flat voice,
23:33waited and waited
23:34without getting the answer he wanted.
23:37My acceptance letter
23:38had already arrived at home.
23:39When they saw the school name
23:41on the letter,
23:41my parents finally found out
23:43I'd changed my application.
23:45My mom video called me.
23:46Hi, baby.
23:47Why didn't you talk to us
23:49before changing your application?
23:51Does Asher know?
23:52His mom called this morning
23:54asking if your letter
23:55had come yet.
23:56I had no words.
24:01Baby,
24:01how are we supposed to feel okay
24:02about you going all the way
24:03to California alone?
24:04Aren't you the kid
24:05who's terrified of bugs
24:07and can't handle heat?
24:09You really think you can manage?
24:11Don't call me
24:11to 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
24:23to switch schools
24:23across the country.
24:26What if you change your mind
24:27in a week
24:28and want him back?
24:29Then what?
24:30It's hard at your caption.
24:32I just decided
24:33to say it straight.
24:35Asher has a girlfriend.
24:37Mom,
24:38Dad,
24:38I have my own life
24:40and I don't want to just
24:42orbit around his forever.
24:44So please support my choice
24:46and please keep it
24:47between us for now.
24:49My parents looked at each other
24:51for a long time
24:52without speaking.
24:53The only thing they asked
24:54was that I come home sooner
24:56rather than later.
24:57School was starting soon
24:58and they wanted time with me.
25:00My mom mentioned that Asher
25:01had gone off on another trip
25:02with friends
25:03the very next day
25:04after getting his acceptance letter.
25:06He'd been gone
25:06for days.
25:08His mom was apparently
25:08calling my mom regularly
25:10asking when I was flying back.
25:12On the day I landed,
25:13my parents showed up
25:14at the airport
25:15dressed like they were
25:16going somewhere formal.
25:17I woke up from my nap
25:18on the drive.
25:19I realized
25:20they'd pulled up
25:21to a five-star hotel.
25:23I was still half asleep
25:24when my mom grabbed my arm
25:25and steered me
25:26through the lobby.
25:27And right there,
25:28standing in the middle of it,
25:30was Asher
25:30who I hadn't seen
25:32in months.
25:32My feet
25:33stopped moving
25:34on their own.
25:35Asher was in a perfectly
25:36fitted black suit
25:37leaning casually
25:38beside the lobby fountain
25:40like something
25:40out of a magazine spread.
25:42Just one summer
25:43was all it took.
25:44The boyish edge
25:45had faded
25:45and he looked exactly
25:46like the version of him
25:48I used to imagine
25:49when I tried to picture
25:50him grown up.
25:51Something complicated
25:52twisted in my chest.
25:53I'd avoided this moment
25:54for months
25:55and now here it was
25:56sprung on me
25:57with no warning.
25:58Stella,
25:59it's Ashler's
26:00going away party.
26:01We figured we'd pick you up
26:02and bring you straight here.
26:04You said you didn't want
26:05a party of your own,
26:06right?
26:07Ashley asked his parents
26:08to set the date
26:09for the day you got back
26:11so you can kind of
26:11both celebrate together.
26:13Asher seemed to sense something
26:14because right then
26:15he casually glanced over
26:17and his gaze
26:18landed directly on mine.
26:19My heart lurched sideways,
26:21still felt like
26:22the floor dropped out.
26:23But Asher moved first.
26:24He took one step
26:26toward us
26:26and then Chloe appeared
26:27out of nowhere
26:28and slipped her arm
26:29through his.
26:30She pulled him along
26:31with her,
26:31smiling wide,
26:32and walked right over
26:34to us.
26:35Oh my gosh,
26:36Stella,
26:37you're back!
26:38I've been wanting
26:39to properly meet you
26:40forever.
26:41I always saw you
26:42around with Asher.
26:44I'm from the AP track
26:46so we never officially met
26:48and I'm genuinely
26:50sad about that.
26:52Yeah.
26:53Asher looked vaguely
26:54uncomfortable.
26:54Why would you want
26:55to get to know her?
26:57She's just a drama queen
26:58who throws fits.
27:00I honestly thought
27:01she'd stayed in her
27:02aunt's state forever.
27:03The world will keep
27:04on turning
27:05and your name
27:05will be forgotten.
27:07I had nothing
27:07to say to that.
27:08There was genuinely
27:09no response.
27:10Chloe's silver bodycon dress
27:12was covered in tiny crystals
27:14that caught every bit
27:15of light in the room.
27:16I glanced down at myself.
27:17White tea,
27:18jeans,
27:19sneakers,
27:19hair that still had
27:20a slight slept-on
27:21wave from the plane.
27:22I looked like I'd made
27:23a wrong turn
27:24on the way to a convenience store.
27:25I brought a dress
27:26for you, baby.
27:27You can go change
27:27in the powder room.
27:28I nodded,
27:29then shook my head.
27:30There was no point.
27:31This wasn't my party.
27:33Asher kept staring at me
27:34with this unreadable expression.
27:36Chloe's eyes kept flicking
27:37back and forth
27:38between the two of us.
27:39Luckily,
27:39a few more guests
27:40arrived just then,
27:41and Chloe immediately
27:42pulled Asher over
27:43to greet them.
27:44Like she was already
27:45the hostess.
27:46Mom, let's go in.
27:47I'm a little hungry.
27:50It was a small gathering.
27:52Asher had only invited
27:53close family
27:53and a handful of friends.
27:55Every single person I knew
27:56looked visibly shocked
27:58when they saw me walk in.
27:59I just smiled
28:00and said hello
28:01and acted like
28:02I didn't notice,
28:02but nobody was subtle
28:04about their curiosity.
28:05The people watching energy
28:06was off the charts.
28:10I slipped out
28:10to the terrace
28:11for some air
28:12and could immediately
28:13hear a small group
28:14in the hallway
28:14cornering Asher
28:15for the gossip.
28:18Wait,
28:19didn't Stella fall out
28:20with you over the Chloe thing?
28:21Why is she here?
28:22Did she come crawling back?
28:24She's just quick-tempered
28:25and in a mood.
28:26She always comes around
28:27after a couple of days.
28:28We've known each other
28:28our whole lives.
28:29She's not actually
28:30going to cut me off.
28:30I mean,
28:31Stella's genuinely great.
28:32She's been ride or died
28:33for you for years.
28:34All of us are low-key jealous
28:35of how she treats you.
28:36But, like,
28:37one is your childhood
28:37best friend.
28:38Honestly,
28:39Stella's amazing,
28:40but it also feels
28:41kind of limiting.
28:43I'm young.
28:44I don't want to only
28:44ever have one person.
28:46That's too predictable.
28:47I need to see
28:48what else is out there.
28:49But that doesn't mean
28:50anything has to end,
28:51as long as I know
28:52there's always a light
28:52on at home for me.
28:54You're such a player.
28:56I'd heard enough.
28:57I backed away
28:57as quietly as I could.
28:59The evening breeze
29:00hit my face
29:01and I felt my eyes
29:02go hot.
29:03I just hated myself
29:04for spending so many years
29:05being blind
29:06to who he actually was.
29:08I was in absolutely
29:10the worst mood
29:11of the entire summer.
29:13But Asher's mom
29:14was thrilled to see me
29:15and spent most of dinner
29:16doting on me,
29:17refusing to let go
29:18of my hand.
29:19Stella,
29:20Boston can get really dry
29:21in winter.
29:22Let Asher take you
29:23shopping tomorrow
29:24and stock up
29:24on some good moisturizers.
29:26Oh, it's fine.
29:27There are plenty of shops
29:28out there
29:28and online shopping
29:29is so easy.
29:30She nodded warmly
29:31and turned to my mom.
29:32I already picked out
29:34all the bedding
29:34for the dorms,
29:35got a set for Asher
29:36and one for Stella
29:37at the same time,
29:38all four seasons covered.
29:39Boston winters are brutal.
29:41I went with really thick
29:42comforters
29:43and got a few winter
29:44coats for Stella too.
29:45Don't you worry
29:46about a thing.
29:47My mom made a face
29:48like she'd swallowed something.
29:49All of that would be
29:50completely useless
29:51in California.
29:52But she didn't want
29:53to embarrass anyone,
29:54so she thanked her graciously.
29:56Chloe, sitting nearby,
29:57looked like she was
29:58biting through her own cheek.
30:00Asher's mom
30:00didn't seem to notice.
30:01She kept right on talking,
30:03addressing both of us.
30:05Once you're both in Boston,
30:07you'll be each other's family.
30:08Asher,
30:09you better take good care
30:10of Stella
30:11and stop making her upset.
30:12You hear me?
30:13Asher threw a glance my way
30:14with zero expression.
30:16She doesn't need anyone
30:18to look after her.
30:18She's perfectly capable
30:19of flying on her own.
30:20The table got a little stiff
30:22and that's when Chloe
30:23smoothly cut in.
30:24Oh, don't worry.
30:25My school is in Boston, too.
30:27I'll be there
30:27to look after Asher.
30:28And Stella will be
30:29all the way in California anyway,
30:31so it's not really practical.
30:34Before she even finished
30:35the sentence,
30:36Asher and his parents'
30:37faces changed.
30:38California?
30:39Every single one of them
30:41looked at me
30:42and asked it
30:42at the same time.
30:45Asher, you didn't know?
30:46It's been on the school's
30:47honor board.
30:48Oh, wait.
30:49You haven't been back
30:50to campus.
30:50Every pair of eyes
30:51at the table swiveled to me.
30:53Under the weight
30:54of all that attention,
30:55I quietly nodded.
30:57My mom stepped in
30:57to explain.
30:59Stella made a last-minute
31:00decision to change
31:01her application.
31:03She's going to a great
31:04school in California
31:05and it's actually
31:07the perfect program for her.
31:09Asher didn't believe it.
31:10He grabbed my hand
31:11and made me look at him.
31:13Stella, I literally watched
31:15you fill out that application.
31:17We were going
31:17to the same school.
31:18His grip was tight enough
31:20to actually hurt
31:21and it pushed me
31:22over the edge.
31:23Yeah, I changed it.
31:25What does it have
31:25to do with you?
31:26Asher looked stunned
31:27for a second,
31:28then started laughing
31:29like I'd said
31:30something ridiculous.
31:31You're joking.
31:32You're literally
31:33the girl who jumps
31:34onto my back
31:34at the sight of a bug
31:35and you're moving
31:36to California?
31:38And you're moving
31:39to California?
31:40I pulled out my phone,
31:41found the crystal clear
31:42photo of my acceptance
31:44letter,
31:44and held it up
31:45in his face.
31:46Asher took the phone,
31:47zoomed in,
31:48zoomed out,
31:49read it over and over,
31:51and finally let out
31:52a laugh that had
31:53no humor in it at all.
31:54In the middle
31:55of everyone's gasps,
31:56he grabbed my wrist
31:57and pulled me
31:58out of the dining room.
32:01He pulled me
32:02into a side room
32:03and locked the door
32:03behind us.
32:04Asher planted himself
32:05against it,
32:06cutting off any escape,
32:07and came at me hard.
32:08Stella,
32:09I cannot believe you.
32:10You're so mad
32:11that you just forget
32:12our whole plan,
32:13go behind my back,
32:14and commit Mitt
32:15to a school
32:15across the country.
32:16I lifted my head.
32:17I took a breath
32:18and made myself
32:18look him straight
32:19in the eye.
32:20I have my own plans.
32:22Since when do I have
32:23to build my entire future
32:24around what you want?
32:26Asher,
32:26be honest with yourself.
32:28Are you actually
32:29upset about the plan?
32:31Or are you upset
32:32because I'm not available
32:33to be your fallback girl
32:34anymore?
32:35The color drained
32:35from his face.
32:36What is that supposed
32:37to mean?
32:38Could you not phrase
32:39things like that?
32:40We're adults.
32:41That night was
32:42completely mutual.
32:43Are you seriously
32:44still bringing that up?
32:45I was embarrassed,
32:46but I held his gaze anyway.
32:47Asher,
32:48if you like someone else,
32:49you could have just said so.
32:50I'm not so shameless
32:51that I would have kept
32:52throwing myself at you.
32:53But you knew
32:54you didn't like me back
32:55and you just watched me
32:56walk straight into the flame.
32:57That was fun for you,
32:58wasn't it?
32:58Even now,
32:59he still didn't get it.
33:00People don't say goodbye
33:01until they've completely
33:02run out of hope.
33:03He flushed.
33:04Something in what I said hit.
33:06His face went from white to red
33:07and he visibly swayed.
33:09What do you even
33:10listen to what you're saying?
33:11You...
33:12He couldn't finish the sentence.
33:15Stella,
33:16we've known each other
33:17since we were eight years old
33:18and we're 18 now.
33:19If you're choosing
33:20to walk away
33:21from what we have,
33:22then we don't have
33:23to be friends either.
33:24And with just that,
33:25he turned and walked
33:26out of the hotel.
33:34From that day
33:35until the day I left
33:36for school,
33:37I never saw Asher again.
33:38Mia sent me a screenshot
33:40of his official
33:40couple's post with Chloe.
33:42I deleted it
33:43without even opening it.
33:44Every mutual friend
33:45connected to him,
33:46I blocked.
33:47There was genuinely
33:48no point in following
33:49any of it anymore.
33:53The only exception
33:54was the day
33:55I flew out to California.
33:56Of course,
33:57because the universe
33:58has a terrible sense of humor,
33:59I walked straight into Asher
34:01at the airport again,
34:02with Chloe still glued
34:03to his side.
34:04When we passed each other,
34:05he said a stiff hello
34:06to my parents
34:07and kept walking,
34:08clearly still angry.
34:10He didn't look at me once.
34:11We scattered
34:12in different directions
34:12and neither of us
34:14looked back.
34:14Right before I got
34:15to the security line,
34:16I glanced over
34:17and caught Asher
34:18at his gate,
34:19about to board.
34:20He gave me one
34:21cold, flat look
34:22and then disappeared
34:23through the door
34:24without turning around.
34:25The person who had been
34:26part of every chapter
34:27of my growing up,
34:28we were finally
34:29completely done.
34:30Different destinations
34:31at last
34:32and I hope yours goes well.
34:34I said it only to myself.
34:36After that,
34:36a long, long time passed
34:38without either of us
34:39hearing a single thing
34:40about the other.
34:41I specifically asked
34:42my parents
34:43not to bring up
34:44anything related to Asher
34:46or his family
34:46in front of me.
34:47Over New Year's break,
34:49a girl from our high school
34:50came to visit.
34:50He's nothing like that
34:52cold, focused,
34:53straight A guy
34:54he was in high school.
34:55He's completely different.
34:59Honestly,
35:00if you ran into him now,
35:01you might not even
35:02recognize him.
35:04I didn't say anything.
35:05Mia kicked her
35:06under the table
35:06and smoothly changed
35:07the subject
35:08and the girl dropped it.
35:09We did the New Year's
35:10countdown by the water
35:11and Mia told me
35:12to make a wish.
35:14Hope New Year,
35:15Syria Parent Healthy,
35:16Kinkeating Under the World.
35:18I realized it was
35:19the first wish
35:19I'd ever made
35:20that had absolutely
35:21nothing to do with him.
35:22For a full six years
35:24of my life,
35:24every single wish
35:25I made had involved
35:26Asher in some way.
35:29Mia,
35:30Happy New Year!
35:31I felt genuinely happy.
35:33I knew I had finally,
35:35actually,
35:35completely let go.
35:37The first winter break
35:39of college,
35:39I missed my parents
35:40so badly
35:41I couldn't stand it.
35:42The second my last exam
35:44was done,
35:44I was on the first flight home.
35:46What I didn't expect
35:47was that Asher
35:48had come to the airport
35:49with my parents
35:50to pick me up.
35:51After half a year apart,
35:53we had both changed.
35:54He was thinner,
35:55had dyed his hair,
35:56but was still,
35:57honestly,
35:58annoyingly good looking.
35:59I've always had
36:00terrible judgment
36:01about people,
36:01but my taste
36:02has never been the problem.
36:04Why else would I have
36:05been trailing after him
36:06since we were five?
36:07Hey there,
36:07big bro Asher.
36:08He stared at me
36:09like I'd spoken
36:10a different language.
36:11We ran into him outside.
36:13He insisted on
36:14coming along to help.
36:15I smiled and waved her off.
36:17It was fine.
36:20In the car,
36:21I immediately launched
36:22into all the funny things
36:23that had happened at school,
36:24and my parents
36:25were the whole ride.
36:26No one was paying
36:27any attention to Asher.
36:30You've worked hard.
36:31Please send our regards
36:32to your parents.
36:33He seemed like he wanted
36:34to come inside
36:34when we got home,
36:35but all three of us
36:36politely turned him down together.
36:38My grandma and my aunt
36:39had both come back
36:40to celebrate the holidays
36:41that year.
36:42New Year's Eve
36:43was loud and packed
36:44with family.
36:45After the big dinner,
36:46the older relatives
36:47parked themselves
36:47in front of the TV,
36:48while the rest of us
36:49were teaching each other
36:50card games.
36:51That's when Asher
36:52showed up at the door
36:53with his parents,
36:54arms full of bags.
36:55Our house is too quiet
36:56tonight.
36:57Hope you don't mind
36:58us crashing your game.
37:03Our house is too quiet
37:04tonight.
37:05Hope you don't mind
37:05us crashing your game.
37:06Asher's mom laughed
37:07as she walked in.
37:08Every year growing up,
37:10the two families
37:10had spent the holiday
37:11together.
37:12This year,
37:13because of everything
37:14that had happened,
37:15my mom had turned down
37:16the invitation
37:16to share the big dinner.
37:18But you can't exactly
37:19turn people away
37:20once they're at your door.
37:22Asher settled himself
37:23naturally,
37:23my cousins had no idea
37:25about any of the drama
37:26and kept teasing us
37:27like they always had.
37:28I laughed it off.
37:30It's not what you think.
37:32Asher's expression
37:33went a little flat.
37:34When midnight came
37:35and we all went
37:35outside for sparklers,
37:38he caught my arm
37:39and looked like he was
37:41working up to say something.
37:42My phone rang.
37:43My face went a little warm.
37:45It was a guy from
37:45one of my clubs at school.
37:48Hi, Stella.
37:49I'm just a bit bored
37:51and wanted to say
37:51Happy New Year to you.
37:53A local California boy
37:54named Jake.
37:55He was good looking too.
37:56Not in that cold,
37:57aloof way.
37:58More like the guy
37:59who's always laughing
38:00at everything
38:01and making you laugh
38:02right along with him.
38:03He never ran out
38:04of things to say
38:05and he had a way
38:05of making me
38:06completely lose it
38:07at the most random things.
38:09We talked for a while longer
38:10and when he finally hung up,
38:12Asher was standing
38:13right behind me
38:13with a face
38:14like a thundercloud.
38:17Boyfriend?
38:19Not yet, I guess.
38:23Not yet, I guess.
38:25I thought about it
38:26and answered honestly.
38:27I assumed he was done
38:28but then he spoke again.
38:30Long distance guys
38:31aren't always reliable.
38:33You should find someone local,
38:34someone you actually know.
38:38I nodded.
38:39Something in that
38:40seemed to land
38:40somewhere tender.
38:41You're right.
38:42You really can't tell
38:43with people.
38:43I'll keep my guard up.
38:45Asher went quiet
38:46for a very long time.
38:48I assumed he was done.
38:50I didn't think too hard
38:51about it.
38:52Thanks for the advice,
38:53big bro.
38:54You should figure out
38:55your own situation too.
38:56He'd always been
38:57unpredictable like that.
38:58After that,
38:59I spent the rest of break
39:00bouncing around
39:01visiting relatives
39:02with my grandma
39:03and parents
39:03and then we did
39:04a little road trip.
39:05I was barely home.
39:06I didn't run into Asher once.
39:08The break was short
39:09and soon enough
39:10I was back at school
39:11but the very next day
39:12after I arrived,
39:13Asher was standing
39:14outside my campus gate.
39:17Asher,
39:18what are you doing here?
39:19I wanted to see
39:20what your school looks like
39:22and check if you're
39:23actually doing okay
39:24out here.
39:26Really well, actually.
39:27The food here is amazing.
39:28You should look up
39:29some spots and try them.
39:30Stella,
39:32can't you come
39:33eat with me
39:33just once?
39:37Sorry about that, man.
39:38I've already got
39:39Stella booked.
39:39You'll have to get in line.
39:41Stella,
39:42you came back to school
39:44this 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
39:52the place was far?
39:53Stop standing there.
39:55Asher was still standing
39:56at the campus gate
39:57watching us
39:57and under the shadow
39:58of the trees,
39:59he looked incredibly alone.
40:01He suddenly started
40:02showing up in my world
40:04constantly.
40:04I never found out
40:06what excuse he gave
40:06his school
40:07but he kept appearing
40:08in California
40:09out of nowhere.
40:10He started showing up
40:11with gifts,
40:11flowers,
40:12bags,
40:13jewelry
40:13and I turned
40:14every single one down.
40:15When there was
40:16nothing else to do,
40:17he'd just sit outside
40:18my dorm building
40:19and refuse to leave
40:20no matter how many
40:21times I asked.
40:22Whenever he managed
40:23to catch me,
40:24he'd fall into step
40:25beside me
40:26to every single class
40:27then follow me
40:28to the dining hall.
40:29Jake was visibly
40:30miserable about
40:30the whole thing.
40:31Asher's mom
40:32had been calling
40:33and messaging me
40:33from multiple angles.
40:35She begged me
40:35to please talk
40:36some sense into him.
40:37I was beyond done.
40:39I genuinely could not
40:40figure out
40:40what Asher thought
40:41he was doing.
40:44Stella,
40:44why does Jake
40:45get to pursue you
40:46but I don't?
40:48Son of a whitest ass.
40:50He's known you
40:50for what,
40:51a few months?
40:52How many years
40:53have I known you?
40:55No one in this world
40:56understands you
40:57the way I do,
40:58not even your parents.
40:59And no one is better
41:00for you than me.
41:06Ashler,
41:08do you genuinely
41:09not remember
41:09what you did?
41:11Ask yourself honestly,
41:13did you ever
41:14actually treat
41:15my feelings
41:16like they mattered?
41:18You just liked
41:19the ego boost
41:20of having me
41:21chase after you.
41:22You knew no matter
41:23what you did,
41:23I wouldn't leave,
41:24so you just did
41:25whatever you felt like
41:26with my heart.
41:28Yeah,
41:29I did some things
41:29wrong back then.
41:31I was young,
41:32I thought the whole world
41:33was waiting for me
41:34and I didn't want
41:35to feel like I was
41:35tied to any one person.
41:37I owe you
41:38a real apology,
41:39Stella.
41:39I'm sorry.
41:41But even if you
41:42treat me like a stranger,
41:43can I at least
41:44have the chance
41:45to start over
41:45and earn it back?
41:46After you left,
41:47I realized I don't
41:48know how to live
41:49without you in it.
41:50I can't imagine
41:51going forward
41:52and not having anyone
41:53to share everything with.
41:54Honestly,
41:55since leaving you,
41:56I figured out
41:57that real,
41:58mutual feelings
41:59don't require you
42:00to shrink yourself
42:00down to nothing.
42:01I can just be myself.
42:03My mood doesn't have
42:04to orbit around
42:05someone else's
42:05and when I realized that,
42:07I started to wonder
42:08if what I felt back then
42:10was ever real love
42:11or just something
42:12a younger,
42:12more naive version
42:13of me invented.
42:16But,
42:18but,
42:20we made promises.
42:23We said we'd go
42:24to college together,
42:25study abroad together,
42:26travel the whole world together.
42:27Are you going to walk away
42:28from all of that too?
42:30Stella,
42:31are you going to leave
42:31all this behind too?
42:33You broke the promises first
42:35and I've already found someone
42:38I want to do
42:38all of those things with.
42:42Stop,
42:42Stella,
42:43please,
42:43just stop.
42:49Maybe you're not
42:50actually in love with me.
42:51Maybe you just
42:52can't stand the idea
42:53of losing.
42:54Asher,
42:55honestly,
42:56it's time for you
42:57to move on too.
43:01I didn't wait
43:01for a response.
43:02Jake had been waiting
43:03across the street
43:04for a while.
43:05I jogged over
43:05and he immediately
43:06reached down
43:07and took my hand.
43:10Finally shook the ex?
43:13Did you tell him
43:14I've got full bug patrol rights now?
43:16He doesn't get a single one.
43:19Everyone is going
43:20through their own goodbyes.
43:22As for us,
43:23it's finally completely over.
43:26Fading away like the rain.
43:28Everyone in the middle
43:29of their own goodbye.
43:30And just like that,
43:31the two of us
43:32were finally,
43:33completely over.
43:34Scattered like rain.
43:35We'll be right back
43:35we'll be right back.
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