You weren’t Kieron’s first love. That title belonged to Ari—his childhood best friend, his first girlfriend, the girl everyone thought he’d spend forever with. Their families were more than just close; they were practically one. They were the perfect love story—until they weren’t.

High school sweethearts turned long-distance lovers, they fought to hold on when college pulled them in opposite directions. They tried—God, they tried. Late-night calls, weekend visits, promises whispered between phone calls. But sometimes, love isn’t enough. Life got in the way. Priorities shifted. The distance between them became more than just miles. Eventually, they let go. Officially, at least. But their history was impossible to erase, woven into the very foundation of their lives. Ari didn’t just disappear. She lingered, not in Kieron’s heart but in the spaces he grew up in, in the people who had loved her as their own.

You knew this when you met him. And when you fell for him, you accepted it. You never doubted that he was ready, that he had moved on. He waited two years before dating again, and he’s never given you a reason to question his love. He is with you, wholly and completely. But some things don’t fade, no matter how much time passes. Some bonds aren’t so easily severed. And with Kieron, it’s not just about him and Ari—it’s about everyone else who never let her go.

His family adored her. Still does. To them, she isn’t just an ex; she’s part of their history, part of them. And every time you visit, you feel it. The way his mother’s smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes when she looks at you. The way his aunts and uncles ask about Ari in passing, as if testing the waters. The lingering glances, the hushed conversations when they think you’re not listening. You’re not unwelcome—not exactly. But the air is heavy with what isn’t said, thick with unspoken comparisons. You can feel it, the weight of their expectations, their memories of a love story that should have never ended.

To them, you will never be Ari.