While video chatting with my boyfriend, his roommates were eagerly clamoring to meet me. Just as I was giving a modest smile, the phone was unexpectedly snatched away.

A charismatic voice, tinged with humor, chimed in, “Come on, don’t be shy, show us what our sister-in-law looks like.”

To my surprise, I found myself face-to-face with my ex-boyfriend, Brayden, whose breakup with me had been quite the upheaval. His smile slowly faded, and after a moment, he forced a wry grin. “Wow.”

As he leaned in, the star pendant on his silver chain brushed against the camera lens. My breath caught when I recognized him. Sweat trickled down Brayden's sharp jawline and into the open collar of his basketball jersey. He stared at the screen for a couple of seconds, his pupils widening in shock. “…Wow.”

The phone was abruptly tossed aside, the screen momentarily blacked out before it was quickly picked up again. Cassius grabbed the phone, sounding annoyed, “Why did you freak out like that?”

Brayden hesitated, then snorted, “Your taste could use some work.”

Cassius, usually so calm, surprisingly found himself irritated, and retorted sharply, “My girlfriend is great, stop with the nonsense.”

“She’s definitely prettier than the prom queen, what's up with you, Brayden?”

“If I scored someone like her, I’d live on instant noodles for three years!”

“No way, I’d give up takeout for a decade!”

His roommates erupted in laughter, while Brayden stayed silent. Cassius picked up the phone again, “Sorry, Evelyn, he must’ve lost a basketball game today and is sulking.”

From the background, Brayden’s frustrated voice came through, “I won, I beat them by 20 points!”

Cassius remained unruffled, “Then he’s just having a moment, Evelyn. I’ll take you out for dinner tonight.”

Once the video call ended, I lay quietly on my bed, summer sunlight glaring through the window. I covered my eyes with my arm. It had been about three years since I last saw Brayden. I never expected he’d still wear that star necklace I gave him. Such a cheap trinket; it cost just $30, and with the couple’s deal, it was only $15 each. I’d tossed mine a long time ago.

He seemed both the same and completely different. The same face, but maturity had sharpened him, like a rough gem finally shaped to reveal striking facets, with defiance gleaming in his eyes.

Suddenly, I recalled three years ago, before finals. Brayden stood below my window in his basketball jersey, eyes red as he pleaded with me.

“I’ll do whatever you want from now on. If you don’t want me around her, I won’t have anything to do with her again. We promised to go to the same college, remember?”

His voice was hoarse, and in the dim light, his eyes seemed to shimmer with unshed tears. “Just don’t break up with me, I’ll agree to anything you say, alright?”

He looked so pitiful, almost ready to drop to his knees and beg. But I simply watched him for a moment, then softly said, “Brayden, I’ve changed my plans. I’m not going to Yale.”

My relationship with Brayden Lewis began when the allure of something new eclipsed the comfort of what was known, and ended when the familiar proved to be more enduring than the thrill of novelty.

In my junior year of high school, I transferred to a new school and quickly claimed the top spot in the class. Back then, teachers thought that pairing a high-achieving girl with a struggling boy could somehow boost his performance. That's how I ended up seated next to Brayden Lewis.

However, Brayden had zero interest in academics and was far more captivated by me. He'd tug on my hair or snatch my pen and hold it high with a cheeky grin.

"Evelyn, you're so short," he'd quip.

During class, he'd pass me little notes, often quick sketches of me. Just as I was about to tell him off for being a distraction, the teacher spotted the note and decided to display it to the entire class, promptly sending both of us out to stand in the hallway as punishment.

I was the model student back then, never before subjected to such humiliation. My eyes brimmed with frustration as I shoved Brayden. "Brayden, have you lost your mind?"

He knew he was in the wrong and didn't say a word. After a while, he folded the note into a star and quietly placed it in my hand.

As I looked at the star, I couldn't help but smile through my tears.

Our relationship began to blossom. I insisted on helping him with schoolwork until he understood, checking his homework to make sure he didn't just copy answers. He'd wait for me outside my building every day, and we'd walk to and from school together, browsing the little accessory shops along the way. On a whim, I bought two star necklaces and gave one to him.

Brayden was a big deal at school—handsome, from a well-off family, a football star, and popular among the girls. One day, a girl stopped me, asking if I liked Brayden.

My teenage pride and inexplicable irritation made me blurt out, "I wouldn't go for someone who scores lower than I do."

The girl shifted her gaze to someone standing behind me. Turning quickly, I realized Brayden had been there, overhearing who knows how much. He walked past me without a word.

After that, Brayden never reached out to me again. He stopped talking to me in class, didn't wait for me after school, and we sat silently side by side every day.

I wanted to explain, but he never gave me a chance.

A year later, Brayden's academic progress was astonishing. He tied with me for first place. That evening, he called out to me, his voice earnest, "Evelyn, my grades aren't lower than yours anymore. Can you consider liking me now?"

By now, my memories of that time have grown vague. I just remember the maple trees at school blooming vibrantly, their leaves swirling in the wind, and Brayden's eyes shining brighter than a supernova.

Starlight journeyed across the vast expanse of the universe and landed directly in my heart. In that moment, I heard my own voice say, "Yes."

And just like that, we were together. Young love is like wildfire, impossible to contain. We were inseparable. Brayden introduced me to all his friends, even getting a tattoo of my name. I said I wanted to go to Oxford, and he promised we'd attend the same university.

His newfound academic diligence delighted his mom, and since my grades hadn't dropped, both our parents and teachers chose to look the other way. We became the only openly dating couple at school.

Back then, I truly believed we would last forever. That was until I discovered there was another girl in his heart, one who mattered more than I did.

Brayden had a childhood friend named Adalynn, someone who grew up alongside him. Her father used to work as Brayden's father's chauffeur. During a tragic sea accident, he sacrificed himself to save Brayden’s father, but unfortunately, he didn’t return alive.

Brayden's father, Arturo, was a man with strong principles. Without hesitation, he took in Adalynn and her mother, vowing to treat Adalynn as his own daughter and to care for them both indefinitely.

Adalynn was constantly by Brayden's side, even after we started dating, tagging along on our walks to and from school. This led to countless arguments between Brayden and me. When Adalynn finally stopped joining us, I felt a wave of relief. But then, just a few days later, she was back, leaning on Brayden for support.

"I'm sorry, Evelyn," she said with a sweet, apologetic smile. "I know you'd prefer I didn’t join you, but I twisted my ankle, and Brayden insisted on walking me home."

Brayden's attention was completely on her, his brow furrowed as he gently scolded her. "You twisted your ankle and didn’t tell me? Were you planning to hop home if I hadn’t come to get you? Hop on."

I still remember that day vividly. Brayden carried Adalynn on his back, walking ahead of me. She lay against him, sharing stories from their childhood, leaving no room for me in their conversation.

She whimpered teasingly, "Brayden, my foot hurts so much!"

I had never heard Brayden speak so softly, "Does it really hurt that much? What should we do?"

"I want a spiced honey cake from that bakery on the corner, the priciest one!"

"Alright, I’ll take you home first, then go get it for you."

"Brayden, can I walk with you again in the future? When I walk alone, those guys outside the school stare at me, and it freaks me out."

Brayden's brow furrowed more deeply, "Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, and from now on, you’re not walking alone."

Adalynn smiled and glanced back at me. "Okay."

…

As the sun set, their shadows stretched long and intertwined, inseparable. I was drifting further and further behind, yet Brayden never looked back to check on me.

Only after he had safely delivered Adalynn home did he finally turn to me and say, "I need to get that cake for Adalynn. I won’t be walking you home today."

"Evelyn, you should head back on your own."

I watched him for a long moment before turning away and walking home.