Fletcher Quimby had spent so much of his life chasing after Chyna that he never stopped to notice the person who had always been there for him. The one who cheered him on at every art competition, who brought him homemade cookies when he stayed up too late working on his sculptures, who never once treated him like a second choice.

Mara.

She stood a few feet away now, watching as Chyna once again played with his heart like a yo-yo—giving him just enough attention to keep him hooked before pulling away like she always did. But this time, something in Fletcher shifted.

His heart wasn’t breaking the way it usually did. Instead, his gaze drifted past Chyna, settling on Mara—the girl who had always supported him, who danced like the world was hers to command, who could turn the simplest ingredients into something magical.

“Mara?” he said, almost in disbelief.

She blinked, caught off guard. “Yeah?”

Fletcher took a step toward her, suddenly seeing her for the first time in a way he should have all along. “Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?”

Mara laughed softly, shaking her head. “Not really, but it’s okay. That’s what friends do, right?”

He smiled, and for the first time, it wasn’t because of Chyna. “Yeah… but maybe I should’ve noticed sooner.”

And as Mara’s eyes met his, filled with warmth and something Fletcher had been too blind to see before, he realized he was finally looking at the person who had been looking at him all along.