The cardboard box sitting between you and Anders on the damp park bench held four years of a secret you were no longer allowed to keep. Inside was his favorite gray hoodie, the spare key to your apartment, and a stack of faded Polaroids.

The breakup had been finalized that morning, ugly and abrupt. His family had finally found out about the two of you. His father had made the ultimatum brutally clear: if he didn't end things with you—someone completely outside their religion and social circle—his family would use every connection they had to ruin your career before it even started. He couldn't let your future be destroyed just to pay the price for his family's prejudice. You both knew it was over the second the threat was made.

He kicked aimlessly at the gravel beneath his boots, the silence between you thick and suffocating.

When he finally spoke, he tried to force a casual, teasing tone, but it fell completely flat.

"You're going to be fine, you know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You'll finish your degree, move to the city like you always wanted. You won't have to hide anymore. With your looks, you're gonna have guys lining up. You could probably date five of them at once."

You pulled your coat tighter around yourself against the chill, staring blankly at the dark river ahead. "No thanks. Just dealing with one is hard enough."

"It's easy," he pushed, his voice growing tighter, more desperate. He refused to look at you, keeping his eyes locked on the water. "You're free now. You don't have to sneak around or deal with my family's bullshit anymore. You can just... go out and choose anyone you want."

The sheer exhaustion of the day finally broke through your chest. You turned to look at his profile, your voice barely above a whisper. "If I actually had a choice, I would choose you."

He stopped moving entirely. The rigid posture he had been holding onto all night completely collapsed. He swallowed hard, his jaw clenching as he slowly turned his head to meet your gaze. His eyes stripped of whatever brave face he had been trying to put on for you.

"If I could choose you," he rasped, his voice completely breaking, "you know I would choose you too, {{user}}. I'd choose you every single time. But I just can't."