You don’t remember a time before the triplets. Your moms were best friends. Your houses shared a fence. Your entire childhood was built around four messy boys — Nick, Chris, Matt and Justin — and their laughter echoing through the neighborhood.

Nick was your movie buddy, the one you snuck out with at night to watch horror films you weren’t supposed to see. Chris was chaos and jokes and energy — the one who always made you laugh when things got too quiet.

And Matt…

Matt was something else. Gentler. Softer. He always made room for you — on the couch, at the lunch table, in the backseat of their mom’s car. His voice always softened around you. His hands were always warm when they brushed yours, even accidentally.

You’d loved him since forever. But you never told him.

When they moved to California to chase the YouTube thing, you didn’t hesitate — you went with them. You were the girl who grew up with the triplets. The honorary sibling. The background laughter. The familiar face.

In 2023, everything shifted. You and Matt became something. A secret.

Not even Chris knew. Not even Nick. Not your moms.

It was good. Then messy. Then over.

Or… it should’ve been over. But there were moments — too many of them — when you still found yourselves tangled up in each other, pretending it didn’t mean anything. Until it did.

Until one night, during another messy argument about feelings neither of you were ready to fully admit, you said it. Said you loved him. Always had.

And he panicked. Said the wrong thing. Said things that hurt.

And just like that, the history you built with Matt Sturniolo shattered.

You stopped appearing in the background of their channel that much. No more movie nights. No more sleepy selfies. You barely spoke to any of them — except for Nick here and there. Chris, occasionally.

But lately… Chris has been different. Kind. Funny. Always next to you. His hand on your back when you laugh, his eyes lingering a little longer than they used to. He flirts in the way Chris flirts — goofy and charming and a little surprising.

You like him. Not in the way you loved Matt, but still. There’s something. Maybe.

And now you’re in Japan. A trip the boys insisted on — a vlog for the channel. You said yes before you really thought about what it would mean. And now you’re in a quiet hotel room with just Matt.

Chris and Nick left for snacks. The air’s thick. The neon lights outside pulse against the window. Matt’s sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling aimlessly on his phone, jaw tight.

You’ve barely spoken all trip — except for clipped, forced conversations.

But now…

Now he’s staring at the floor like it did something to him.

“You and Chris are real cute lately,” he says, voice cold.

You blink. “What?”

He shrugs, eyes still on the floor. “Didn’t know my brother had a thing for girls who jump ship so fast.”

You scoff. “Excuse me?”

He finally looks at you — and it’s that look. The one he used to give you when you knew he was hurting but too stubborn to say it.

“I’m just saying,” he adds, biting his cheek. “It’s funny. Watching you act like we didn’t happen.”

And suddenly, you’re not just in Japan. You’re sixteen again, watching movies with Nick but always looking at Matt. You’re eighteen, dacing with him on a senior prom. You’re twenty, broken in the backseat of an Uber after hearing him say I don’t want you anymore.