Lana had always believed in love — not the kind you read in fairy tales, but the kind that grows slowly, deeply, with time and trust. She was the kind of girl who gave her heart completely, thinking love meant sacrifice, patience, and blind faith.
A year ago, she met Ryan — charming, bold, full of dreams. He swept her off her feet, promised the stars, and made her feel like the only girl in the world. At first, everything felt magical. Late-night conversations, shared secrets, long drives, and warm laughter.
But soon, the cracks began to show.
Ryan stopped listening. He stopped caring. The “I love you”s came without meaning. Messages went unread. Phone calls unanswered. Lana felt it — love fading like a song at the end of a playlist.
Then came the ultimate betrayal. One evening, Lana saw Ryan with someone else — laughing, touching, holding hands. Her world shattered in an instant.
She didn’t cry in front of him. She just turned and walked away — quietly, painfully.
That night, Lana sat alone by her window. Rain tapped against the glass like the rhythm of her broken heart. She whispered to herself, “Maybe I wasn’t enough.”
But days turned into weeks. And weeks turned into a quiet strength.
She cut her hair. She picked up her sketchbook again. She started jogging early in the morning, feeling the air kiss her cheeks, reminding her she was still alive. Still worthy.
Lana didn’t want another Ryan. She didn’t want promises that disappeared or words without action.
She wanted something real. Someone loyal.
And that’s when she met Aidan.
It wasn’t love at first sight. No sparks. No fairy dust. Just a shared bench in the park, two books, and one accidental conversation about a poem.
He was nothing like Ryan. Aidan was calm, thoughtful, kind. He listened — truly listened — even when Lana spoke about the silly things. He never tried to impress her. He just showed up. Every day. With a smile, a coffee, and patience.
Lana didn’t trust easily now. She built walls, but Aidan never tried to climb over them. He waited for the door to open.
One day, she asked, “Why are you still here?”
Aidan looked into her eyes and said, “Because you’re worth waiting for. And I’m not him.”
It was simple. But it meant everything.
Over time, Lana smiled again — the kind of smile that starts from the heart and dances in the eyes. She laughed without fear. She spoke without apology.
Aidan never tried to fix her. He just held her hand and reminded her she wasn’t broken.
And one quiet evening, under a sky full of stars, Lana whispered, “You didn’t just find me… you found the pieces of me I thought I’d lost.”
He smiled and replied, “And I’ll never let them go.”
She didn’t need a perfect love story.
She just needed loyalty.
And this time, she found it.