Sydney and E became fast friends the summer she turned sixteen, bonding over music and morals that set them apart from everyone else. What begins as something innocent soon evolves into a fiery, soul-deep connection—an addictive love that anchors them as their true north through the next seven years.

Though every sign points to each other, bad timing and missed chances keep them caught in the ache of ‘almost’, pushing them down every wrong road.

Now twenty-three and finally ready to accept their lives have grown apart, Sydney is trying to let go. She’s moving forward—building a quiet, steady life with wholesome, dependable Jake. But when fate throws E back in her path, she’s reminded just how hard it is to breathe without her burn.

As years of angst and unresolved tension work to fracture their self-control, lines are blurred, consequences are ignored—and everything they tried to bury rushes to the surface. When it all comes crashing down, Sydney must face the music she’s always ran from: choosing between the perfect life she’s tried to create, and the one boy who’s always had her heart—even when he broke it.