Description
Elion Liwanag thought a new school meant a clean slate, but life had other plans. One minute, he's making friends, laughing at inside jokes, feeling like he finally belongs. The next, he's drowning in the weight of expectations, past mistakes creeping in, and a growing fear that maybe, just maybe, he's not who they think he is. And then there's CJ Javier, quiet, steady, and frustratingly hard to read, making Elion feel things he doesn't know how to name. But amidst Elion's imperfect cracks, someone sees him, not just the version he pretends to be, but the boy struggling underneath it all. CJ, with his quiet glances and unshaken presence, doesn't try to fix him or pull him out. He just stays. And maybe that's what terrifies Elion the most-because if someone like CJ can see him, truly see him, then maybe he has to start seeing himself too.
Author's Note
