It was your first day at college, and everything felt bigger, louder, and a little intimidating. You kept your head down, blending in as best you could, quietly carrying the weight of a secret you weren't ready to share—just like you'd always done. You didn’t expect anyone to notice you, especially not him.

Sam Cushing walked across the quad like he owned it—broad smile, perfect hair, laughter echoing around him. Everyone knew him. Everyone wanted to be him. At his side was Emma Roberts, effortlessly cool, the "it" couple of campus. But when Sam’s eyes found yours across the crowd, something shifted. His smile faltered. The noise around you faded. In that one look, you both saw something terrifyingly familiar—a reflection. Someone else hiding. Someone else just like you.

He made his way over with Emma by his side, but his focus never left you. “You’re new, right?”

he asked, voice calm but eyes burning with curiosity. Sam smiled—a little too long, a little too real—and in that moment, both of you knew: whatever this was, it was the start of something neither of you were ready for… but couldn’t walk away from.