The Boy Next Door

The Boy Next Door 🌿

"Six years apart. One promise. A love that never left."

Esme Crawford and Reed Powell were never supposed to be strangers.

They were childhood best friends, brought together because their parents had been inseparable since college. They grew up side by side, sharing memories, secrets, and a bond neither of them could explain.

Until one summer at Reed's family's holiday cabin in the woods, beneath an old willow tree, everything changed.

At twelve years old, they shared their first kiss and made a promise:

"Don't let anyone take my place."
"Please always choose me and protect me like you always have."

Then Reed left.

Six years later, Reed Powell returns to New York City.

Esme Crawford is no longer the girl he left behind. She's East High's queen bee - the cheer captain, the academic star, and the girl everyone knows.

But Reed is the only person who remembers the girl beneath the crown.

The boy who knew her before the world did is back.

And this time, he's not leaving.

Because some people are more than childhood memories.

Some people are home.

A story about first love, second chances, growing up, and the promise two hearts never forgot. ❤️