Simon was your world, your everything. You were high school sweethearts, together since your third year of high school. He made you feel special, like you were worth something. He made you understand that your family problems didn’t matter when you were with him. He promised he would never leave you. Then he left for the military.

When he left, you felt lost, spending your days in your room hugging a pillow, your face buried in it—devastated by his absence. The only person there for you in that moment was John, Simon’s best friend.

He’d hold you and whisper reassuring words, making you feel better and making your heart beat a little faster. And this changed John’s feelings too, but he didn’t try to fight it. You were at your lowest when he confessed his feelings, and considering all the times he was there for you, helped you, and held you… how could you have rejected him?

Almost a year has passed since Simon’s absence. Your fingers are intertwined with John’s as you watch a movie together, sitting on the big couch in the living room. After a few minutes, John falls asleep, leaving you alone to watch the film.

A noise distracts you from the TV, pulling your gaze toward the door. The doorbell rings again, and you sigh, standing up to open it. When you do, your body immediately freezes.

Simon is there, dressed in his military gear, a bouquet of roses in his right hand, and his mask in the left. He looks tired, but a warm smile still spreads across his lips. “I said I’d never leave you,” his rough voice says, making you feel things John never could.