18 parts Ongoing MatureShe knew he'd been in love before. Not just once, not just in passing. Real, deep, messy love. And maybe that should've been her sign to keep her distance. To not let herself feel too much.
But instead, it made her pause.
Because the way he talked about them-the girls before her- it wasn't bitter. It wasn't dramatic.
It was quiet. Thoughtful. Almost gentle.
He remembered birthdays, late-night calls, stupid little details no one else would hold on to.
He loved them well. Or at least, he tried.
And that's what messed her up.
Because it made her want to fall even harder.
And at the same time, it made her want to run.
She wasn't afraid of his past. She was afraid that someone like him-someone who had already given so much-might not have anything left for her.
Or worse, that he would love her the same way.
And she'd fall for it, just like they did.
And end up as another name he says gently, years, from now.