𝒮𝑒𝑒 𝑀𝑒 (under editing process)

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟?
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Later, as the sky darkened and the fairy lights glowed brighter, we lay back on the blanket, side by side.

The stars flickered above us.

"I like you, Noella," Mason said suddenly, voice low, careful.

My heart stuttered.

"I like you so much."

I swallowed hard. "There's... there's a difference between a want and a need."

He turned his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"

"People say they want someone," I whispered, staring up at the stars. "But a want is fleeting. Temporary. A craving. A need is something you can't live without. And I don't know which one I am to you, Mason. I don't know if I want to be anyone's need."

Silence stretched. My chest tightened.

Then he rolled onto his side, facing me fully. His voice was steady.

"I love you, princess."
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Noella is the unpopular, invisible girl.
Quiet, smart, and buried beneath the weight of her own thoughts, she's the kind of student who blends into the background at Oakwood High. Struggling with depression and self-doubt, she feels like no one really sees her.

But everything changes when Mason Montgomery walks through the front doors.
A star athlete with a heart-stopping smile and a dream to join Oakwood's top-ranked football team, Mason becomes the instant center of attention. Everyone wants him - Noella included.

As the school year unfolds, Noella finds herself falling harder - for Mason, for hope, for the chance that maybe life doesn't have to feel this heavy forever. But can she find the courage to open up, to let others in, and to fight for a version of herself that believes she's worthy of love?
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