jaybirddd_
Some loves begin before you know what love is.
Some loves survive things that should have broken them.
When Jade Thompson meets Devon Michaels in seventh grade, it's just a moment-one glance across a classroom, one heartbeat loud enough to drown out the world. She doesn't know yet that this boy with quiet eyes and a guarded heart will become a constant in her life, even when nothing else feels certain.
Devon is new to this part of the city, carrying grief he doesn't have the words for and a growing resentment for a school that feels more like a reminder of everything he's already lost. He's never known his biological father. He's lost the man who raised him. And soon, he will lose even more-losses that will reshape him, fracture him, and make staying feel harder than leaving.
Jade is learning how to live inside her own mind, navigating anxiety, depression, and the ache of loving someone who doesn't always know how to remain present. She feels deeply, waits patiently, and slowly learns the difference between holding on and losing herself.
Their story unfolds over years-marked by closeness and distance, disappearance and return, heartbreak and healing. Devon leaves. He comes back. Jade grows. They both change. But the connection between them refuses to fade.
Inspired by real events, 143: A True Love Story is an emotional romance about first love, grief, mental health, and the kind of bond that matures with time.
Because some love stories aren't measured by how they begin or even how they hurt-
but by the quiet ways we say I love you.
One. Four. Three.
***Contains mature themes and scenes. Please enjoy responsibly and do not replicate this independent work.***