Caesar had never fought for anything that wasn't handed to him.
Basketball? He was naturally good at it. Friends? They came easy once he stopped being the quiet kid in the back of the room. Popularity? It just happened.
But Blythe?
She was the only thing he had ever truly wanted.
And now, for the first time, he was going to fight for her.
---
The problem was, he didn't know where to start.
Blythe had made it clear—he couldn't just expect things to go back to the way they were. He had to prove himself. But how?
Apologizing wasn't enough.
Ignoring Liam wasn't enough.
He needed to remind her why they had fallen for each other in the first place.
Why, despite everything, they still mattered.
---
His first attempt was small.
She had always loved sunflowers.
So he left one in her locker.
No note, no name—just a single, bright yellow flower waiting for her.
He didn't stick around to see her reaction. He didn't need to.
He just hoped it meant something.
---
The next day, he tried again.
They had a shared history class, and Blythe always forgot to bring a pen. Caesar used to tease her about it, always handing her one with a smirk.
But now, she borrowed from someone else.
So that morning, before class started, he slid a pen onto her desk.
She hesitated for half a second before picking it up.
She didn't look at him.
But she used it.
And that was enough.
For now.
---
By the third day, she was noticing.
She didn't say anything about the sunflower. Didn't acknowledge the pen. Didn't call him out when she caught him staring.
But she wasn't ignoring him anymore.
And that was progress.
Caesar wasn't done yet.
The real test came on Friday.
Blythe had a habit of staying late after school, sitting by the big window in the art wing, sketching in her notebook. It was her favorite quiet place. He had always known that.
So that afternoon, as she sat with her pencil in hand, lost in thought, he sat down across from her.
She blinked, surprised.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Sitting."
She exhaled. "Obviously."
Caesar smiled, leaning back. "Can I see?"
She hesitated, then tilted her sketchbook toward him.
It was a drawing of the sky.
Soft clouds, shaded in detail. A few birds in the distance. And in the corner, barely visible—
A silhouette.
His.
Caesar's breath caught.
Blythe quickly closed the book. "It's not finished."
He swallowed. "It's me, isn't it?"
She didn't answer.
She didn't have to.
For the first time in months, hope sparked in his chest.
Maybe—just maybe—he wasn't too late after all.