You weren’t Kieron’s first love. That title belonged to Ari—his childhood best friend, his first girlfriend, the one everyone thought he’d end up with. Their families were close, their bond unbreakable. It was the perfect love story—until it wasn’t. High school sweethearts turned long-distance lovers, they tried to make it work in college, but life pulled them apart. They broke up, but never completely drifted away. Their history remained, woven into the fabric of their families.

You knew this when you started dating Kieron. Three years later, you have no doubts about his love for you. He waited two years before dating again, and he’s fully committed to you. Still, there’s always been a shadow—subtle, unspoken. His family adored Ari. They’re polite to you, even kind, but you can feel it—the way they reminisce a little too fondly, the way they seem to compare.

This year, Kieron invites you to spend the holidays with his family. You brace yourself, expecting the usual tension. But when you step into the house, something is different. There, in the living room, laughing with his parents and sisters, is her. Ari.

He hasn’t seen her in years, his face went pale. You’ve never met her before. And now, standing in the warmth of his family’s home, face-to-face with the ghost of his past, you wonder—are some love stories ever truly over?