By Your Side

Caiome has learned early on that love isn't always loud or permanent... In a world filled with exams, expectations, and unspoken emotions, she chooses to stay guarded, believing that it's safer to care quietly than to risk getting hurt.

As a new school year begins, Caiome finds herself surrounded by a small but steady circle of friends Sapphira T. Trinidad, whose honesty keeps her grounded; Judson I. Sy, whose humor hides a deeper understanding of life, and Calvin G. Zamora, whose confidence brings both warmth and confusion into the group.

Then there's Thaddeus A. Tuazon.

Quiet, consistent, and unexpectedly sincere, Thaddeus doesn't chase love...he waits. Through shared silences, group study sessions, laughter after long days, and moments that feel too meaningful to ignore, something slowly grows between them. Not rushed. Not forced. Just real.

But growing up is never simple.

Misunderstandings, emotional distance, and the fear of vulnerability begin to test their friendships and hearts. Caiome must confront her own walls-those built from past disappointments and the belief that loving deeply always ends in loss.

As time passes and paths drift apart, each of them learns that love isn't about holding on too tightly. It's about healing, choosing, and sometimes letting go.

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By Your Side is a light, heartfelt teen fiction novel about first love, enduring friendships, and the quiet courage it takes to open your heart once more. Because sometimes, love doesn't come when you're ready...but when you've finally learned how to hope again.