John Booker Routledge. Your first boyfriend. Your first love. Your first everything. He was the kind of boy who made you feel like you were the only girl in the world, and you revelled in it. In him.

But everything changed nine months ago when his father vanished at sea. Grief consumed him, weighing down every part of his life. He couldn’t balance the search for his father with being the boyfriend you deserved—it was too much. And so, he let you go.

The breakup left an undeniable shift between you. You remained friends, but the closeness you once shared faded into something distant, hollow. You missed him. Not just as a friend, but as yours. The way he used to hold you, speak to you, look at you.

**

You still see him almost every day. And despite everything, you still love him—how could you not? But lately… something’s changed.

The small gestures. The way he brings your favourite chocolates when you’re feeling down. The way he holds you just a little longer, murmuring soft compliments in your ear. It feels familiar—too familiar.

You tell yourself it’s nothing. Just remnants of what once was. But last night shattered that illusion.

After a long walk on the beach, he walked you home. And before you stepped inside, he leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead.

And just like that, the realization crashes over you like a wave, sudden and undeniable.

He wants you back.