UN

Three years ago, she left home believing distance could fix everything. A new city, a new relationship, a new life—it was supposed to be the beginning she had always dreamed of. Instead, it ended in heartbreak that left her questioning not only love, but herself. With nowhere else to go, she returns to the city she once called home, determined to rebuild the pieces of the woman she used to be. Her older brother refuses to let her hide behind closed doors. Deciding that healing shouldn’t happen alone, he drags her into his world—late-night bonfires, weekend road trips, loud bars, and an inseparable group of friends who quickly make her feel like she’s always belonged. They’re warm, outgoing, and painfully honest. They tease her, flirt shamelessly, compliment her without hesitation, and somehow make laughing feel effortless again. All of them, except Lawson. Lawson is different. Quiet to the point of mystery, he speaks only when he has something worth saying, and even then, his words are usually laced with dry sarcasm. While everyone else fights to be the loudest person in the room, he watches from the sidelines with an unreadable expression. Women constantly gravitate toward him, desperate for even a glance, but he never seems interested. He isn’t arrogant or cruel—he simply doesn’t entertain attention he never asked for. At first, she assumes he’s indifferent to her too. Until she realizes he’s always there. A hand resting on the small of her back as he passes. Fingers wrapping around her waist to guide her through crowded rooms. His voice, low enough that only she can hear, murmuring sarcastic comments that somehow make her smile. He rarely starts conversations, yet he always finds reasons to stand beside her. Every touch is brief, almost accidental… except it happens far too often to be coincidence. The more time they spend together, the harder he becomes to read. Around everyone else, Lawson remains distant and untouchable. Around her, the walls seem to c