~Two Years Ago~
The sun was just starting to dip behind the trees surrounding the soccer field, casting long golden shadows across the grass. Jaden had just finished practice, drenched in sweat and adrenaline, the echo of laughter and cleats fading behind him.
He was halfway through unlacing his boots when she appeared.
Brielle Donovan.
Standing on the edge of the field in a short leather jacket, leaning against a car that probably cost more than most people's rent.
She was too polished, too composed. Like someone who didn't ask for attention just expected it.
"You're fast," she said, her voice smooth, a little amused. "And not bad to look at either."
Jaden blinked. "Uh… thanks?"
She smirked, then walked up to him like she'd known him forever.
"I'm Brielle. My cousin plays for the other team. I saw you tear through their defense like it was paper."
"Jaden."
"I know."
And just like that, she hooked him.
⸻
That night, she added him on Instagram.
The next morning, she commented on a story he didn't know she'd even seen.
Two days later, they were texting all night.
A week after that, she kissed him in the backseat of her car while music thumped from the speakers, and the world outside blurred.
⸻
Brielle was electric.
She took him to places he'd never been—expensive restaurants she barely touched her food in, parties where everyone seemed to already know her, hotel rooftops just to "see the city lights." She made him feel older. Braver. Wanted.
She called him "golden boy" and said it like an accusation and a compliment all at once.
But it wasn't always easy.
Brielle ran hot and cold. When she was angry, she was cruel. When she was in love, she was fire. And Jaden, who'd always been steady, found himself shifting just to keep up.
He ignored the red flags at first.
The way she hated when he canceled plans for Ezra.
The way she rolled her eyes when he talked about his mom.
The way she started asking who the girls were in his comments.
But then came the moments he couldn't forget.
When she showed up outside his house at 2 a.m. in the rain just to "see him."
When she defended him in front of a coach who'd benched him.
When she cried in his arms and told him she didn't believe in love until him.
⸻
He thought that was love.
Maybe, for a while, it was.
But now, sitting in his car with the engine off and his phone buzzing with unanswered messages, Jaden couldn't help but think about how much had changed.
And how much he had let himself change.
The boy she met on the field was gone.
And maybe that was what scared him most.
Saturday evening crept in with the kind of quiet tension Lily had gotten used to since moving to Sweden. Her mom was all smiles in the hallway mirror, adjusting earrings and smoothing her dress, while Dan kept checking the time like punctuality was life or death.
"Come on, Lily," her mom called from the stairs. "You look great, don't overthink it!"
Lily tugged her sweater down and looked at herself one last time. Brown waves tucked behind her ears, simple gold hoops, jeans, and boots. Casual but clean. Her heart thudded anyway.
Dinner with her mom and Dan was one thing. Add Ezra, Mia, and Jaden to the mix—and now, apparently, Jaden's mom?
It felt like stepping into a dinner party she hadn't fully been invited to.
Downstairs, Mia stood beside Ezra, looking like a soft breeze in her pale blue cardigan. She smiled when she saw Lily. "Hey, pretty girl."
Lily returned the smile, grateful for Mia's warmth. "You look amazing."
Ezra, as always, stayed unreadable. He gave a quick nod, then turned to answer something Dan was saying about the restaurant.
And then Jaden walked in.
He was dressed in a dark green shirt and black jeans, his hair slightly damp like he'd just showered but hadn't bothered with anything else. He looked tired. Or maybe thoughtful.
Their eyes met for a split second.
He looked away first.
Lily swallowed the twist in her stomach.
Moments later, Jaden's mom arrived a tall, graceful woman with streaks of silver in her dark curls and a laugh that seemed to light up the front hall.
⸻
The restaurant was dimly lit, with long wooden tables and candles flickering in glass jars. The whole group sat at a big round table near the back Lily between Mia and her mom, with Jaden across from her, next to Ezra.
The conversation flowed easily mostly thanks to Marisol and Lily's mom, who connected instantly over stories about raising teens and cooking disasters.
Mia and Dan got along too, laughing over their mutual hatred of winter sports.
Lily tried to focus on her food, but her eyes kept drifting across the table to Jaden.
He didn't talk much.
He laughed when Marisol teased him. He nodded when Ezra spoke.
But he didn't look at Lily once.
And somehow, that felt worse than if he had.
⸻
After dessert, as the group lingered over coffee and tea, Marisol leaned closer to Lily.
"He was different when Brielle came around," she said softly, as if reading her mind. "Quieter. Guarded."
Lily blinked. "You didn't like her?"
"I didn't know her," Marisol said with a shrug. "She never let me. But you Jaden doesn't shut up about you."
Lily's heart flipped.
"But," Marisol added gently, "he's still figuring things out. Be patient with him."
Lily nodded slowly, her chest tight.
She didn't need him to love her.
Not yet.
But she needed to know she wasn't the only one who felt the shift.
And tonight, even in silence, it felt like maybe—just maybe—she wasn't.
The night air outside the restaurant was crisp, but Lily barely noticed. She was still replaying Marisol's words, wondering if Jaden had felt just as off-kilter during dinner as she had.
They had only just stepped off the curb when Ezra spoke.
"There's a party tonight. Couple kids from the team throwing it. Thought we'd take Lily, show her how we do things around here."
Dan looked up. "What kind of party?"
"Chill. Backyard, music, people from school," Ezra said. "We won't be late."
Mia nodded supportively. "I'll be with her the whole time, I promise."
Lily's mom hesitated, exchanging a glance with Dan.
"Just an hour or two," Ezra added.
"Alright," Dan said. "If it's okay with your mom."
Lily turned to her, expecting the usual nod. But instead, her mom pulled her gently aside.
They stood near the parking lot, away from the others.
"Look," her mom began quietly, "I trust Ezra. And Mia seems sweet. But these kinds of things—new city, new people—you have to be careful."
Lily tilted her head. "I will."
Her mom's eyes didn't soften. "I mean it, Lily. People drink, boundaries blur. I just want you to be… aware. Especially around boys."
Lily furrowed her brows. "Mom, it's just a party."
Her mom sighed, brushing Lily's hair back. "That's what everyone says until something goes wrong."
Lily nodded slowly. "Okay."
But as they walked back to join the others, something about the warning felt strange. Like her mom knew something she wasn't saying.
⸻
The house buzzed with music before they even made it up the driveway.
Inside, the party was a blur of bass, laughter, red solo cups, and pulsing colored lights. Mia stuck by Lily's side like a lifeline, introducing her to a few familiar faces from school and guiding her around with practiced ease.
Ezra disappeared to talk with teammates.
Jaden drifted in and out of her periphery—laughing with a group near the kitchen, then vanishing down the hall. Every time Lily looked up, it felt like he was already looking her way.
By the time she found herself standing alone by the stairs, Jaden had reappeared—cup in hand, smile a little crooked.
He wasn't wasted, but definitely not sober.
"Hey, Jersey girl," he said, stepping close.
Lily's heart jumped. "Hey."
"You having fun?"
"Yeah," she lied.
His eyes roamed her face, slow and a little too focused.
"You always look like you're thinking too much," he said, tipping his head. "What's going on in there?"
"Probably stuff you don't care about," she tried to joke.
But he stepped closer.
"Not true. I care."
His fingers brushed her wrist. It was gentle, almost accidental—but enough to send electricity through her.
"Jaden—"
"I think about you more than I should," he murmured.
Lily froze.
And before she could respond—he leaned in and kissed her.
It was warm, soft, and fast—just a few seconds.
Then his hand went to her waist, pulling her slightly closer. His touch wasn't forceful, but there was something hungry about it—something messy, unfiltered.
"Jaden, stop," she whispered, half breathless, half confused.
He blinked, pulling back like waking up from a fog.
"I—sorry," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
From across the room, Mia watched it all—eyes wide, cup frozen in her hand.
She didn't move. Didn't interrupt. But Lily could feel her presence like a second heartbeat.
⸻
Ten minutes later, the car ride home was silent.
Ezra drove, unaware.
Mia sat beside Lily in the backseat, their arms brushing.
Lily stared out the window, her chest still buzzing—not with excitement, but with something she couldn't name. Something like guilt… and maybe hope… and maybe fear.
Because Jaden kissed her.
And she had kissed him back.
But he wasn't hers.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
And she didn't know what was worse.