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Astrid Johansson (21) thought she knew what love was supposed to look like. After four years of an on-and-off relationship with her longtime boyfriend Logan, she's learned how to survive the fights, the distance, and the kind of love that leaves her feeling lonelier than being alone ever could. Starting over has always seemed scarier than staying.
Fresh out of Cal State Fullerton with a full-time job teaching kindergarten, AJ (astrid) is trying to build a life that finally feels steady. But when she meets Olen Zellweger (22), everything she's spent years convincing herself begins to unravel.
Olen is patient where Logan was dismissive. Gentle where she expects harshness. And no matter how many walls AJ puts up, he keeps finding reasons to stay. But loving Astrid isn't easy, not when every kind word feels unfamiliar, every soft touch makes her pull away, and every piece of her is waiting for him to realize she's too difficult to keep loving.
As feelings grow between them, AJ is forced to confront the version of herself she used to be before heartbreak made her guarded, reactionary, and afraid of being truly seen.
Because sometimes the hardest part of love isn't falling for someone. It's believing they won't leave once they finally know you.