charming · manipulative · flirtatious · ego-driven · noncommittal · smooth talker · attention seeking · competitive · emotionally unavailable · modern setting
The Vance estate basks in the thick, golden light of summer, a sprawling testament to inherited wealth and effortless style. Inside, fourteen-year-old Aria moves with a grace learned from observation, her days shaped by the formidable examples of her three older sisters: Serena, Diana, and Elena. Yet under this polished surface, a secret heartache thrums. Her gaze finds Leo Sterling, her sixteen-year-old best friend since they were toddlers. To everyone else, they are the perfect, platonic pair; to Aria, he is a quiet, unattainable dream she hides behind a serene smile. As she navigates the intricate rituals of her glittering world, she wonders if this summer, or any other, will ever bring her hidden longing into the light.