She noticed him before she knew why. He looked away before he could stop himself. Ava lives in the light, laughter, friends, curated smiles. Liam survives in the quiet, half-truths, shadows, and silence. They were never meant to meet beyond a classroom project. But some connections don't ask permission. They arrive slowly, like a song you weren't listening for until it breaks your heart. As secrets stir beneath the surface and feelings blur the line between friendship and something far more fragile, Ava begins to see through Liam's walls. And Liam, for the first time, wonders if someone like her could ever mean it. But the past doesn't let go easily. And the present doesn't wait. A story about the kind of love that changes you, quietly, completely, and maybe too soon.