Prologue – Unspoken Hearts
They say your first love is unforgettable. I think it's true.
For me, it wasn't just love—it was years of stolen glances, daydreams I never confessed, and feelings that grew silently until they weighed heavier than my own heart.
I loved him for seven years.
Seven years of almosts.
Seven years of hoping he would notice me, just once, the way I noticed him every single time.
But sometimes love is cruel. Sometimes it isn't fireworks or fairytales. Sometimes it's silence, watching from a distance while someone else gets chosen. Sometimes it's waiting for a message that never comes.
This is my story.
A story of almost love, unspoken hearts, and the boy I could never let go of—even when I tried.
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When I was younger, love wasn't even a thought. Back then, it was just laughter, scraped knees, and running barefoot across dusty compounds.
Daniel was part of that childhood.
Our moms were both teachers at the same primary school, so naturally, we became playmates. He wasn't my "crush" back then—just Daniel. The boy who let me borrow his toy car, who shared sweets with me, who always seemed to win at every silly game we played.
He lived close by, in the same neighborhood, and sometimes after school, I'd drag my little brother along to his house. His family felt like an extension of mine. Daniel had a younger brother—though I later found out he wasn't his blood brother—but it never mattered. To us kids, a brother was a brother, and friendship was simple.
I remember the yellow curtains in their living room, the way Daniel's laughter filled the house. He had this energy—wild but controlled, like he was always one step ahead of everyone else.
Back then, I didn't see him as special. He was just my childhood friend.
But then life happened.
My family moved to another part of town. It wasn't too far, but far enough to change everything. I didn't see Daniel as often anymore. And even though we still went to church in his neighborhood, he wasn't always there. Slowly, the connection faded. Our conversations turned into polite hellos, and then into nothing at all.
Years passed.
And then one day, everything changed.
It was a regular afternoon, nothing remarkable about it. I was in junior high by then, trying to adjust to a new school, new friends. I had followed one of my classmates to her little sister's school, tagging along like I often did. And that's when I saw him.
Daniel.
But not the Daniel I remembered.
This wasn't the boy I used to run around with. He was taller now, his shoulders broader, his face sharper. His hair was trimmed neatly, his skin glowing under the sun like smooth caramel. And those eyes—deep, dark, piercing—looked nothing like the carefree boy I once knew.
My heart stuttered. Literally.
It was like time froze around me. My breath caught, and for a moment, I forgot how to be myself. I forced a smile, forced my voice to stay calm when I greeted him.
"Hey, Daniel," I said, as if my heart wasn't betraying me, pounding so hard I thought he could hear it.
He smiled back casually. Just a normal smile. For him, it was nothing. But for me? That smile lit up something inside me that I couldn't put out.
That was the day I realized: I was in love