Liam watched the campus unfold before him, feeling both a strange thrill and a familiar weight settle in his chest. His fingers brushed over his phone, lingering on the last message he'd received just an hour ago: Meet me at the Nighthaven café? It's been forever!

That message was from Llyad. Just seeing his name after all these years stirred memories that Liam had carefully tucked away, like old photos hidden in the back of a drawer. Being close to Llyad again felt like a dream, but it was one laced with fear, too—fear of what he couldn't say, what he'd kept hidden, even from himself, for so long.

Growing up Filipino in a conservative family, Liam had been raised with clear expectations and unspoken rules. And, of all people, he'd fallen for Llyad, his half-Filipino friend who had spent most of his life in a mix of cultures. Llyad's easy confidence, his natural blend of his heritage, made him different from anyone Liam knew. It made him even harder to let go.

He could still picture Llyad exactly as he had been in their last summer together before college separated them—the carefree grin, the dark curls that never quite stayed in place, and the laugh that seemed to echo through their long, sun-drenched afternoons. They had been just friends then. Two kids who dared each other to jump off cliffs into the river below, who shared everything from stupid secrets to dreams of the future.

But it was also that summer when Liam realized that what he felt wasn't just friendship. He hadn't wanted to admit it, even to himself. In his world, those feelings were unspeakable. He grew up knowing he had to hide that part of himself, especially from Llyad, who'd never guess the truth. So Liam buried it all, keeping up the front his family and friends expected.

He'd thought college might offer an escape, that distance would help him set Llyad free. He'd told himself it was ridiculous, that he would move on. He'd meet people who would understand him, people who could love him back the way he needed.

But with every step he took toward the café, those hopes felt like excuses that had long since faded. He wasn't over Llyad. He was still that boy with a head full of feelings too big to contain, acting normal even as every memory they shared haunted him with what he couldn't have and couldn't admit.

Liam took a deep breath and pushed open the café door. There was no escaping it now. Llyad was right there, smiling that same, familiar grin.

And Liam knew he was about to fall all over again.