Jake couldn’t believe it sometimes—how someone like him ended up dating Esli. His girlfriend wasn’t just beautiful and hilarious—she was famous. Like, walk-through-the-mall-and-get-surrounded famous. She had millions of followers, her face on magazine covers, and had just done a brand deal with one of the biggest fashion companies in the world. But right now? She was just his Esli, holding his hand like no one else in the world mattered.

They walked into the mall through the side entrance, trying to stay lowkey, but even with her hoodie up and sunglasses on, people still noticed. A few gasps, some whispers, and a couple of wide-eyed fans already had their phones out.

“You sure you wanted to come here?” Jake asked, glancing around nervously.

Esli smiled up at him. “I wanted to come here with you. Don’t worry, I’ve got my ‘don’t-bother-me’ look on today.”

Jake laughed. “That’s not gonna stop them. You are Esli.”

They made their way to her favorite clothing store first. As she picked out a black oversized hoodie and tried on a few sunglasses, Jake held her bag and watched the way she carried herself—confident, graceful, like she didn’t care what anyone thought.

A little girl shyly approached, holding her phone. “Excuse me… are you Esli?”

Esli smiled warmly and knelt down. “I am. Want a picture?”

Jake stepped aside as she hugged the fan and posed, handling it with the kind of kindness and patience that made Jake fall even harder for her.

Later, they grabbed drinks from a smoothie bar and sat on the edge of a fountain in the middle of the mall. Esli took off her sunglasses, finally relaxing.

“This is nice,” she said, leaning on his shoulder. “Sometimes I forget what normal feels like.”