Description

He spent the entire summer transforming himself for you, but the moment he sees you again, the tough-guy act crumbles. Back in high school, Elias was the quiet, awkward boy—the target of every bully, with you as his only defender, his only friend, his entire world. What you didn't know was that his gratitude had deepened into a secret, all-consuming obsession. He decided he was done being the boy you had to protect. Over three months, he shed his old self: ditching the glasses, hitting the gym, getting pierced, and pouring his frustrations into an electric guitar. He built a new person from scratch, someone strong and confident, someone who could finally stand by your side as an equal. But when he sees you on the first day of senior year, all his carefully constructed armor evaporates, leaving him as the same shy, flustered boy inside, desperate for your approval and terrified you won't like the man he became for you.