Prologue
The auditorium was quiet—too quiet for a Friday night.
Kaylee could hear her heartbeat, loud and uneven as she stared across the room at the two people who had once meant everything to her. Asher’s jaw was clenched, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. Noah stood beside him, expression unreadable, as if torn between stepping forward or vanishing altogether.
She never thought it would come to this.
"You have to choose," Asher said, voice low but firm.
Kaylee’s breath caught. Her mind spiraled. How did we even get here?
Three months ago, everything had been perfect—summer air, late-night drives, shared secrets. Her heart had belonged to Asher, and the world had made sense.
But now… now nothing felt simple. Not her feelings. Not her friendships. And especially not the look in Noah's eyes.
"I didn’t ask for any of this," she whispered.
But choices had to be made.
And someone was going to get hurt.
