Chapter 1: Whispers and Beginnings

In Maple Heights, everyone knows Caleb Hart. His laugh echoes down Main Street, his name whispered like a dare at every party. He’s the guy whose parents run the Christmas parade, the one everyone watched grow up, and the first to show up when there’s a party worth remembering. Every girlfriend he’s ever had got treated like royalty—flowers, fancy milkshakes at Lou’s Diner, the works. But one thing was always off-limits: forever. Commitment? Caleb acted like it was contagious, and the whole town loved to talk about it.

People still say he’s hung up on his first love. He can’t seem to move on, can’t take that last step with anyone else. Everyone’s got a theory.

Five months into dating him, my mom started dropping hints at dinner, and my aunt kept asking when I’d bring Caleb home. Finally, I just blurted out, “I think we should break up. I heard your first love is coming back too. Congrats.”

He just smiled, a little sad, and said, “Yeah.”

That night, his friends threw him a bachelor party. The house was packed and buzzing with music. Somewhere near the kitchen, someone mentioned me: “Dude, I just saw Lillian out front—with some guy. Tall, kinda hot. You know him?”

Suddenly, everyone was whispering, half-shouting, making a scene. The whole room felt electric with gossip.

Caleb’s face tightened. He stubbed out his cigarette, jaw set, and sneered, “She said we were together, and she was the one who wanted to break up. Since when is it ever that simple?”