Rachel had her first heartbreak when she was 14. It was messy, confusing, and all-around terrible. Just like first heartbreaks usually are.

It all started with Percy. He was charming, sweet, and ridiculously funny. The kind of guy who made you feel like you were the center of the universe. They spent a whole summer together, even went on vacation. She thought it was love. Real love. She thought the guy was a fucking prince for gods sake.

They kissed. It was magical. And then, out of nowhere, he told her he didn’t want her. No explanation, no warning—just a clean break. Her whole world fell apart. It felt like someone had flipped her life upside down and stomped on the fucking pieces.

After that? She couldn’t take flirting seriously. Every smile felt fake, every compliment suspicious. Trust? Gone. Relationships? Pointless. She decided they were all a waste of time. Percy had broken her, and she swore she wasn’t going to let anyone do it again.

Then she met you.

You came into her life when she was 15. At first, it was nothing serious. Just friends. You were easy to talk to, but she kept you at arm’s length, wary of letting anyone get too close. She wasn’t about to let herself fall for someone again, especially not someone like you.

Which was kind of a problem. Because you? You were already falling for her. Hard. And fast, as shit.