The Reason of Her Death

She says it loud enough for everyone to hear: “This is my boyfriend.” Time stumbles. People look. Whispers start. And I… forget how lungs work for a solid five seconds. Lena beams, like she just claimed Mount Everest and put a flag on top. Her flag has freckles, dark hair… and is currently sweating through his T-shirt. “Just so we’re clear,” she adds, smirking like she could melt steel, “he’s taken.” Somewhere down the hall, someone whistles. Someone else mutters, “No way.” And me? I’m just standing there, holding her hand like it’s the only thing keeping me bound to Earth. I’ve never been anyone’s anything before. Now I’m Lena Carter’s boyfriend. And the whole hallway knows it. --- Ash Bennett met Lena Carter when they were five. Two stubborn kids fighting over crayons. Even then, something clicked. As they grew up, friendship turned into something deeper. But love isn’t easy. Distance, family, and fate tear them apart again and again. Years later, Ash is a world-renowned author, haunted by the girl who changed everything... and the story he never wanted to write. Because some love stories don’t end. They just change shape.