The Version Of You

"Maybe the hardest part of falling in love isn't finding the right person. Maybe it's learning to see them exactly as they are."

Chloe Reed has always been good at falling in love. The only problem? She's never been very good at knowing who she's actually falling for. She takes small gestures and turns them into meaning-a smile becomes affection, a conversation becomes a connection, and a kind stranger quickly becomes the exact person she imagines them to be.

For seven months, Chloe thought she knew Thomas Miller. She thought he was kind, loyal, and completely different from everyone else. Then, he proved her wrong. Now, after their relationship falls apart, Chloe is left wondering whether she ever really knew Thomas at all, or if she had simply fallen in love with a version of him she created in her head.

And then there's Austin Prant. At sixteen, he is quiet, brilliant, a football player with no interest in becoming a star, and the absolute last person Chloe expects to notice her. Especially because Austin has been noticing her for much longer than she realizes.

But this time, Chloe doesn't want to fall in love with an idea; she wants to know the person first. Because maybe the hardest part of falling in love isn't finding the right person. Maybe it's learning to see them exactly as they are-not the version you imagined, but the one that's real.