Ava Collins had always been the quiet one at Halewick University, nestled in the heart of London-smart, focused, and staying lowkey in a world full of loud personalities. Then there was Jace Rivers-confident, magnetic, and unknowingly the boy she couldn't stop falling for. He was popular, flirted with everyone, but never really saw her. Still, fate had other plans.
They became friends.
And with every shared coffee, every late-night conversation, Ava fell harder. But she never said a word. Until one day, Jace started dating one of the girls always hanging around him. Ava, heartbroken but proud, walked away without looking back.
Five years later, they crossed paths again.
Jace is now a globally adored actor, charming as ever. Ava? She's the Head of Marketing at Vera & West, one of London's top-tier advertising agencies-independent, confident, and no longer in the background.
Their worlds collide once more. But this time, the rules have changed.
Will Jace finally notice the girl who once stood quietly by his side?
Does Ava still feel the same, or has she moved on?
One thing's for sure- some stories aren't over until they are.
And also some feelings don't fade. They just evolve.
PAUL
I cheated on my fiancée.
Sophie and I were building our future. In love, happy, peaceful. Then she found a lump in her breast and I made the worst choice: I numbed my fear by sleeping with someone else. My worst mistake and my biggest regret. Now I see Sophie around town with him. She's radiant and laughing with people who actually show up. I'm trying to learn how to be a man who does. If she lets me, I'll spend the rest of my life proving I can choose her when it's hardest. If she lets me...
SOPHIE
I thought the promise was in sickness and in health.
But he buried his fear in someone else. On the same night, I walked into a bookstore and meet the gentle giant owner who invites me to his book club full of misfits.
I'm laughing again, I smile more than I ever have, I heal my heart.
My ex says he can learn to stay, but my bookstore owner keeps showing up like it's as easy as breathing. I don't know what the future holds; I don't know if I'll win this battle against cancer, but I do know I'm done wasting time on people that love only when it's easy.
CALLUM
She came in to Rivers & Rhodes Bookstore and asked for books with happy endings only.
I gave her a recommendation, an invitation, and an offer of friendship. Now, this beautiful brave woman is completely under my skin. I'm not here to win a competition against him. I'm here because choosing someone, second by second, is the only way I understand love.
Content Warnings: on page cheating, emotional and physical infidelity, cancer, mentions of vomiting, bleeding, surgery. Please be advised.