For years, Zara Saoirse Alvarez has loved Nathaniel Charles Russo from a safe distance. He doesn't know her. He doesn't know about the girl who takes the longer route just to catch a glimpse of him. The girl who remembers the smallest details about him. The girl who has turned stolen glances into memories because she knows she'll never be brave enough to ask for anything more. And Zara is okay with that. Or at least, she tells herself she is. Because as long as Nathaniel doesn't know, she can keep her feelings without risking rejection. She can admire him without getting hurt. She can love him quietly without ever having to find out if he could possibly love her back. Until one day, he finally notices her. What begins with a few awkward conversations, stolen glances, and unexpected encounters slowly turns into something Zara never prepared herself for. Because getting closer to Nathaniel means risking the one thing she has always protected. . . her heart. And the closer they become, the harder it is to pretend that her feelings are just a harmless crush. But Nathaniel has his own secrets, his own fears, and a life that may not have room for the girl who has been quietly waiting on the sidelines. Zara knows she could walk away before things get too complicated. She knows she could go back to admiring him from afar, where loving him doesn't hurt. But for the first time, she has something she never thought she'd have. . . a chance. And sometimes, having a chance is far more terrifying than having none at all. Because what happens when the person you've spent years dreaming about finally becomes real? What happens when you discover that getting what you wished for might cost you everything? And when the semester ends, will Zara have the courage to choose love even if loving Nathaniel means learning how to let him go?