You’d just seen it again— that look.

Lizzie Young.

His baby. His first love. His first heartbreak. His unfinished story.

And you? You were the intermission.

It hurt— God, it hurt— knowing he never made you feel unloved but never made you feel chosen either. Like you were always second best, the safe option. The right-now, not the always.

The space between the pages where he tried to forget her. You were soft where Lizzie was sharp. Kind where she was chaotic. You gave and gave, hoping he’d see you— really see you— but the truth was carved into the silence between you both. You could be the sun, and he’d still chase her storms.

You’d never be Lizzie.

You’d never be the girl he loved with his whole heart.

He never made you feel unloved. That was the worst part. He was good. Thoughtful. Sweet, even. But it was the small things— the way his eyes followed her when she wasn’t looking, the way her name curled on his tongue with history and hurt and hope.

You were the one he held.

But she was the one who held his heart.

And if it ever came down to choosing?

You already knew.

He’d pick her. He always would.

And that truth? That quiet, steady truth?

Because even the nicest boys can break your heart.

Especially the ones who never meant to even in the most brutal ways.