All The Boys I Hid

My parents believed I had never been in love.

They didn't know about Adam, the boy on the school bus who became my first almost-love. They didn't know about the forbidden relationship, the boy who travelled across cities for me, the night I found freedom inside a parked truck, or the boyfriend who introduced me to Pokémon before mysteriously disappearing.

They never saw the secret messages, hidden FaceTime calls, painful betrayals or tears I buried beneath my blankets.

Every boy gave me something different. Butterflies. Adventure. Friendship. Heartbreak. Fear. A lesson.

But through every relationship, one person remained-Eli, my nerdy gaming partner, hockey rival and former love. He knows every version of me, including the ones I've tried desperately to hide.

Now I must decide whether true love has been beside me all along-or whether the most important person I need to choose is finally myself.

This isn't only a story about the boys I loved.

It's about the girl each one left behind.