You never really meant to fall into something so easy with Rafe, but that’s exactly what it was—easy. It was never complicated between the two of you. He’d text you at midnight, and you’d end up on his porch before the hour was over. He’d drive by just to see you, and somehow you’d always have time. People whispered about it, but not in the ugly way you might expect—more like they just assumed it was inevitable.

His friends greeted you like you were one of them. It didn’t matter if you walked into a party alone; someone would always pull you into their circle, hand you a drink, ask how your week had been. Your friends did the same for him, teasing him like he was just another fixture in your life. Even your parents liked him. It was like the whole world was rooting for the two of you, as if everyone could see a future you hadn’t even let yourself imagine. Forever. That word used to scare you, but with Rafe, it felt… natural.

And maybe that’s why you didn’t notice her at first.

The new girl in school. She came with too much makeup and a laugh that was just a little too loud. The kind of person who tried too hard, but people forgave her for it because she was shiny and new. You’d catch her watching Rafe when he wasn’t looking, lingering a little too close when his friends gathered. At first, you didn’t care. You didn’t need to. Rafe had always made it clear where he stood.

But then she started weaving her way into the group—sitting closer, laughing harder at his jokes, finding excuses to stand near him. And his friends, good as they were, didn’t see it the way you did. They welcomed her, the same way they’d welcomed you, and suddenly she wasn’t just the new girl anymore. She was part of the picture.

And that’s when the cracks began to show.

It wasn’t that Rafe pulled away—not really. He was still him, still reaching for your hand when no one was looking, still brushing his thumb across your cheek like you were the only thing that grounded him. But there was a shift, small but sharp, in the way the air felt when she was around. You noticed the way her eyes lingered, the way her voice always softened when she said his name.

Everyone used to say you and Rafe were forever. Even you believed it. But forever suddenly felt a lot more fragile than it used to.