Y/N Hart has a simple rule: stay away from anything that feels like trouble. She’s focused on college, her future, and keeping her life under control. Noah Carter is the exact opposite of that rule. Quiet, distant, and impossible to read, Noah has a reputation for making bad choices and keeping everyone at arm’s length. No one really knows him—just the version he lets people see. They shouldn’t get involved. Everyone around them agrees on that. But distance turns into coincidence. Coincidence turns into habit. And habit turns into something neither of them planned for. Between late-night conversations, unresolved tension, and choices they probably shouldn’t be making, Y/N and Noah slowly get pulled into something deeper than either expected. And once they’re in it, walking away stops being simple. A slow-burn college romance about bad timing, worse decisions, and feelings that refuse to be ignored. (Please read premise & author note)