April's pov
The Past
I was twelve when Alexander left for London. By then, we had become close friends, closer than I’d ever imagined. His family had always welcomed me with open arms, treating me like one of their own. Their warmth was something I had come to depend on. But the day they left, something in me changed. A hollow space formed inside my chest. I didn’t realize how deeply I had come to rely on him until he was gone.
When I first met Alexander, he was cold. Distant. He barely acknowledged me and acted like I didn’t exist. But I saw the way he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking. Quiet. Curious. Always observing from the shadows. He never spoke to me, but his eyes spoke a language I couldn’t quite understand back then.
Over time, that cold wall began to melt. Slowly,
