Stella walked home slowly that evening, the sound of her shoes tapping against the pavement echoing louder than usual in her ears. The world around her felt muted—the chatter of neighbors, the barking of distant dogs, even the honking cars—none of it really registered. Her mind was too busy replaying the moment earlier in the day when she had politely turned Jacob down.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jacob. In fact, she admired him—his dedication to hockey, his charm, the way he carried himself with confidence. But when he’d asked her to prom, something deep inside told her it wasn’t right. She wasn’t ready. And if she had said yes, it would have been for all the wrong reasons. Still, the image of his face—the quick flicker of hurt in his eyes when she said no—was hard to shake.
“Did I…
