Still His, Somehow

Sometimes, the hardest thing isn't falling in love. It's falling for someone who can never love you the way you need them to.

Rae Santos always thought he was okay with his broken heart. After all, JayJay Dela Cruz-the guy he'd fallen for-had never been his. But that never stopped him from hoping, waiting for the day JayJay would look at him and say, "I choose you."

When Kairo Villanueva enters Rae's life, everything changes. He's kind, passionate, and sees Rae in a way that JayJay never did. Kairo makes Rae feel seen, loved, and wanted. For the first time in years, Rae dares to dream of a future that isn't clouded by the past.

But Rae's heart is still haunted by JayJay's ghost. He tells himself he's moving on-but can you really move on from someone when they still occupy every corner of your mind?

Kairo knows he's not Rae's first choice. He knows Rae's heart is still somewhere in the past, wrapped up in memories with JayJay. But he stays. He waits. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, Rae will choose him-will finally choose a love that's real.

In the end, Kairo will learn the hardest truth of all:
You can't make someone choose you-especially when they're still holding on to someone else.

Will Rae ever let go of his past? Will Kairo ever be the one Rae needs? Or will their love story always be caught between what's real and what could have been?