ARIA’S POV
I still remember the day Dennis approached me, standing out like a sore thumb in his red sweater despite the summer heat. He was simple, unassuming, with his hair gelled back in a neat, polished style that reminded me of a character straight out of a high school romance novel. He was the kind of good guy who never got the girl in those stories, and that’s what I found so endearing about him.
Dennis was unique, a breath of fresh air in a sea of clichés. I can still picture our first date, his gaze filled with so much adoration and warmth, a kind of love that had nothing to do with my appearance and everything to do with the essence of who I was. He had fallen for my words, my thoughts, my very being, and it was a feeling I never wanted to let go of. And that first kiss—it was l
